


Sweeter Than Sweet

by Icanloveyoumorethanthis



Series: Sweeter Than Sweet [1]
Category: Teen Top (Band), VIXX, 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: Abuse, Alternate Universe - College/University, Dark, Kidnapping, Multi, Original Character(s), Sad, Sadism, Stalking, Students, Temporarily Unrequited Love, Torture, Underground Rapper Yoongi, Unrequited Crush
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-21
Updated: 2016-11-21
Packaged: 2018-09-01 08:59:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 30,506
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8617954
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Icanloveyoumorethanthis/pseuds/Icanloveyoumorethanthis
Summary: Hyuk’s life turned into a nightmare after he had been kidnapped and tortured constantly. He’s only hope in that dark place is the boy who lives in the next cell. But how can love bloom into that kingdom of terror? Will Hyuk ever get rescued? He’s friend Jonghyun never believed that Hyuk just took off and so he befriended Hyuk’s coworker, Changhyun, in order to find his friend. Meanwhile, Jonghyun’s classmate, Jimin, finds himself falling for the rude rapper with whom he had a one night stand. However the later wants nothing to do with him.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Also posted on AFF http://www.asianfanfics.com/story/view/1190272
> 
> This story was inspired by VIXX Voodoo Doll and BTS Wings concept.  
> Nabom is a fictional character.  
> It’s the first part of a series, the next one will be the prequel of this one and there are some hints in this fic in the end.  
> Let’s assume that Yoongi can change his hair really quickly.  
> Ricky is from Be my girl period and Changjo from I’m Sorry, because they just looked too good to be missed.  
> Jimin is from I Need You, J Hope from Run and Ilhoon from Second Confession, Yoongi simply changes a lot.  
> Hyuk is from Love Equation and Hongbin from Depend on Me.

 

Hyuk walked down the street with the bloomed cherry trees. He loved this time of the year. It made him feel like a kid again. Now, he was a freshman at Seoul College, having enrolled for pastry chef, after his mother’s encouragement. His dad wasn’t that happy about his decision not to follow the family tradition and become an accouter. But Hyuk had always loved sweets and couldn’t imagine being something that he didn’t like. And he always found his father’s job boring. He remembered these long afternoons spent in his father’s office, with the grey walls stuffed with papers and folders that gathered dust and time on them. The hours seemed to drag forever then. It was then when he decided that he wasn’t going to be locked into that box they called serious profession.  
The warm spring air hit his face, carrying all the aromas of the pink and white flours that surrounded him. He was planning on baking a cherry tart for his baking course, to celebrate spring. He had ordered from the lady of the local market to bring him the first cherries that would grow and she had finally called last night to announce him that his cherries were ready for him to collect them.  
Hyuk walked faster, almost spilling his praline latte on his nit poi shirt. He, as always, had lost track of time and the market would be closed without him getting his most important ingredient. The market wasn’t too far away from his dorm, and Hyuk enjoyed visiting it often and getting the best that they provided. His good ingredients were one of the reasons he was getting good grades. He had set as a goal to finish his two year course with a good note in order to get recommendations and find a nice job at a restaurant in order to collect the money he needed to open his own pastry\coffee shop.  
Hyuk was thinking of all the nice pastries he was going to bake to accompany the coffee he was going to serve, as he entered the alley that was the fastest way to the market. It was a dark, scary and smelly alley, but it would take double the time to walk the avenue. However Hyuk had an uneasy feeling as he crossed it, like someone was watching him. He couldn’t put his finger on it. The last few weeks he had this feeling that he was being followed.  
Everything had started after that party at the bar where his friends liked to hang out. He got back to the dorms a little tipsy and collapsed on the bed without even taking his clothes off. But the next morning, he was in his pjs. He checked the doors, but they were locked. Maybe his friend Jonghyun was playing pranks on him again. He had given him the keys of his room, just in case, as they lived next to each other. Jonghyun was studying modern dance and often he was taking part at musicals and events. But he always found time to spend some time with Hyuk and Ilhoon, their other friend, who was a pastry chef like Hyuk.  
Hyuk knew that Jonghyun and Ilhoon liked to tease him and they always planed jokes on him. Though they both swore that they had never entered his room that night.  
“You were more drank than you thought,” Ilhoon laughed and stuffed his mouth with chocolate fudge cake. Hyuk smiled, as he watched him close his eyes and make moaning sounds as he chewed.  
“I want to survive only on fudge cake for the rest of my life!” Ilhoon claimed, his mouth covered with chocolate.  
“You said that last week about the crème brule you had at that restaurant,” Hyuk answered him.  
“Well, I do have to have some variety, or I’ll get bored of the crème every day.” Ilhoon tossed his dirty blond hair back and continued eating, looking more like a child than ever.  
“I would never be able to eat only one thing for the rest of my life,” Jonghyun commented. He had already finished his second dish of carrot cake and he was preparing for his third one, checking out the rest of the menu. Hyuk couldn’t understand how he ate so much and still kept that great figure. Maybe it was all the dancing he did.  
“Seriously now, guys. I mean, who wrote off my exam days from my schedule?” Hyuk insisted, as the waiter came to collect the dishes and refill their Americano. He was a small guy, with dyed blue hair and pretty face. He smiled at them as he took Jonghyun’s order. His name was Changhyuk and he and Hyuk worked together at the café they now were taking their coffee.  
“For the last time, we didn’t do it!” Ilhoon said a little annoyed.  
“Maybe someone who doesn’t really like you did it, to make you go crazy over it,” Jonghyun said, eyeing the group of guys sitting a few tables away. Hyuk recognized Jimin, Jonghyun’s classmate. Jonghyun really hated the guy, as they competed against each other at every choreography they’ve got.  
“Okay, why would Jimin do that? I don’t even know the guy,” Hyuk started to think that his friends were making petty excuses to cover their tracks. And he got even more suspicious as the days passed and started noticing small things that didn’t make sense. Even this morning, he was trying to find his green t shirt and he couldn’t find it anywhere.  
He made a point to make it clear once and for all to them that this big prank of theirs had to stop. None was laughing anymore and he had to prepare for his final exams and he had to concentrate. He couldn’t deal with their childish behavior any more.

 

He was actually playing the imaginary conversation in his mind, and he was actually wining over them. They did look quite sorry for their actions. Hyuk smiled as he pictured their faces, when he felt a strong pain at the back of his head that knocked the air out off him, before he passed out.  
########  
Jonghyun was checking the time for the ninth time. He even had his second coffee and he was feeling hyperactive. He passed up and down the pavement, in front of the pizza house he and Hyuk had an appointment at. He tried to call him, but he wasn’t picking up.  
Jonghyun was growing really impatient. He had wrapped up his dance practice and ran to the tube station to get the early train in order not to be late and have Hyuk wait for him. But when he got there, he realized that Hyuk wasn’t there. He even checked the nearby shops, but with no luck.  
“Are you sure he didn’t call you?” Jonghyun snapped at Ilhoon over the phone.  
“No. He is acting a little oddly lately, doesn’t he?” Ilhoon said.  
Jonghyun kicked a can that was laying on the street. It rolled and rolled and finally hit on someone’s black military shoes.  
“Shit!” Jonghyun exhaled as he Jimin got down and picked up the can.  
“What? Haven’t you noticed it?” Ilhoon asked.  
“No, no, not you,” Jonghyun hissed and tried to pretend to look away, but to no avail. Jimin appeared in front of him, a big, perfect smile on his face. Damn it. He really didn’t need this. It was this morning that Jonghyun had performed the choreography that he was working on for months now. And here comes Jimin, out of nowhere, dancing his own modern dance piece, amazing everyone. Jonghyun hated this guy. Not only because they were the two top students of their class, but also because that stupid guy tried with every chance had he got to be friends with him. Couldn’t he get the message that they were only antagonists and nothing else?  
“Hey, Jonghyun, you came for pizza?” Jimin pushed his dark chocolate hair back and handed him the can. Jonghyuk grabbed it and it almost got smashed in his hand.  
“That’s the plan,” he said, trying to act like Jimin wasn’t worth his attention. He probably didn’t achieve it or Jimin didn’t get his massage.  
“You were incredible today. Your dance was so emotional.” Annoying brat!  
“Thank you. You were good as well.”  
“You know, we should get together and work on something. We will take their breath away.”  
“I’ll think about it.”  
“Well, me and my friend have this street group, if you want to join. We would love to have you,” Jimin said a little too excited and waved him goodbye.  
“Jonghyun, you’re right. I see it now! He is a monster!” Ilhoon laughed.  
“Shut up, okay?”  
“No, no. I’m serious. I mean, he must be a stalker or something. Maybe he has a crush on you. In any case, be careful. He may be planning to abduct you.”  
“If I see you, you’re dead! You and Hyuk!” Jonghyun hang up on him and stormed off, tossing the can into the nearest rubbish bin. That idiot Hyuk, what got himself into again? He must start focusing more on the present and stop walking on the clouds. Or reality would crash him.

#####  
His head was like it was made of lead. What was happening? Hyuk opened his eyes, but it was dark and he couldn’t see anything. Confused, he brought his hands up to wipe his face off the sweat that it was covering him, as the air around him was unbearably hot. But he realized that he couldn’t move easily. More importantly, that there was resistance to his every movement, like he was in a box.  
Hyuk started panicking. His heart raced. What was happening? What was this? Did the guys finally got to materialize their prank? If so, it was really cruel and pathetic. So Hyuk decided to wait for them to open up. He wasn’t going to give them the satisfaction of screaming in fear. He closed his eyes again and tried to breathe normally. Letting his mind wonder off, to the birthday cake he was going to bake for his mother next month, how he was going to take the train and carry it all the way there. Maybe his dad will be impressed and finally admit that maybe his son had talent at what he was doing after all.  
Hours passed, or maybe it was just minutes. Hyuk started growing impatient. How long were they planning on keeping him into this box?  
“Guys? Can you take me out now?” Hyuk finally gave in. He started feeling claustrophobic and had trouble breathing. “Guys!” Hyuk yelled. No answer. He started knocking at the lead, almost screaming. His hands hurt and he felt something wet and warm dripping down on his arms. He was terrified and his voice started sounding harsh by his constant screaming.  
“Please let me out! Please!”  
“Calm down!” a calm, deep voice answered. Hyuk thought that he had imagined it. It wasn’t Jonghyun nor Ilhoon. In fact Hyuk was certain that it was the first time he had ever heard him.  
“Hello? Is someone out there?” Hyuk asked.  
“Yes, but before you ask, no, I can’t get you out.”  
“Why not? Where am I? What is this?”  
“I can’t answer that either.”  
“Why not? Who are you?”  
“You ask a lot of questions, and you have to restrain your energy.”  
“Is anything that you can tell me?”  
“Just to calm down and be ready.”  
“Be ready for what?”  
“For her,” the voice said before Hyuk pasted out of exhaustion and luck of air.  
####  
Jimin found Hoseok dancing up and down the street, music coming out of his headphones. Jimin mimicked his moves, dismissing the stares that everyone gifted them. Jimin had learned that it was better to be himself and express himself rather than being afraid to be who he was.  
Hoseok gave him a big grin and laughed really loudly. Now even the people waiting for the bus at the bus stop at the other side of the road even turned to look at them.  
“I thought you said you were bringing a friend with you,” Hoseok said, as they walked down the street to that underground club he had found the day before.  
“He was busy. He’ll come along,” Jimin stared at the door that looked like a garage door covered with graffiti. Hoseok approached a man who was leaning against the wall next to it. He was covered with tattoos and had piercing everywhere. Jimin was a little scared of him. He wondered why Hoseok wasn’t scared as well. He usually was the one terrified all the time.  
“Hey, man! We’re here for the party,” Hoseok said to him. The guy gave them a long stare and opened the garage door till the middle and Hoseok disappeared into the darkness of the room inside. Jimin gave a last look at the guy and followed his friend. The interior of the garage was a room stuffed with boxes, with neon lights on the ceiling. Loud RnB music was coming from downstairs, making the room move to the beat.  
They walked into a corridor and walked down the stairs, that featured posters of events on the walls, graffiti and signatures from artists that had performed here. Hoseok was over the moon when he called him last night to announce him that he had discovered this club. He said that every night they organized free style rap and you could even do dance battles.  
And sure enough everyone in the club were all in. A DJ was standing over the huge stereophonic, as smoke and yellow and red lights created the atmosphere of a music paradise. At the middle of the room, bodies were moving at a beautiful symphony, a sea of beat and energy. Jimin smiled at Hoseok, who looked enthusiastic.  
At first, Jimin stood at the edges, sipping his drink observing the crowd. But then, the music overtook him and he found himself at the middle of the dances, completely possessed of the hype of the club. At some point, Hoseok was next to him, sharing moves with him. At others, he was among strangers, the lights blinding him, as they blinked on and off. As he moved, he realized that the song playing was a remix of the one he and his street dancers were working on for their contest next month. Excited, Jimin searches for Hoseok in the crowd, but he couldn’t find him. Being not that tall was a problem some times. As he turned round and round, he spotted the bathroom. Maybe he was there.  
Jimin made his way to there, avoiding some couples making out on the sofas around him. Jimin felt a hand tracing down his back. He immediately turned around and came face to face with a blond girl, provokingly biting her lip as she examines him up and down. Jimin smiled shyly, not knowing what to do next. Did he know that girl?  
“Hey handsome,” the girl leaned too close to him so he could hear her over the music.  
“Hello,” Jimin tried to step away from her, as she allowed her hands to grab his arms.  
“I’m thirsty. Would you buy me a drink?” her lips were inches away from his. Jimin panicked and stepped backwards, bumping onto someone. He felt his shirt getting wet and he realized that he must have spilled a drink on him.  
“What the fuck!” The man behind him cursed and Jimin turned reliantly around, forgetting about the girl. A guy stared angrily at him, looking like he wanted to murder him then and there. He held a cup at his and that it’s now empty and dripped of brown liquor down his white hand.  
“I’m so sorry!” Jimin quickly said.  
“Sorry! You better be!” The guy yelled, pressing his bony finger on Jimin’s chest. He had green, minty hair that fell over his eyes.  
“I’ll replace your drink,” Jimin offered, but the guy didn’t seem to be that forgiving. He stared at him, probably trying to control his anger.  
“Just get out of my way!” he finally said and pushed Jimin hard on the wall, as he made his way into the crown and disappeared. Jimin swallowed hard, his heart racing. That guy made the man at the door look like a harmless teenager.  
Someone grabbed him from the shoulder and Jimin jumped. Was the guy back to take his revenge on him, this time with his fists?  
“Chim, are you alright?” Hoseok looked worried, as he retreated his hand back.  
“I’m fine. I was actually looking for you,” Jimin replied.  
“Okay, you remember Nabom?” A girl appeared next to Hoseok. She had red hair and big eyes. She smiled shyly at him and Jimin remembered her from a gig they had participated, where she expressed how amazing they were and insisted on buying them drinks. Probably Hoseok was keeping in touch with her. Or maybe she was his girlfriend now. Jimin had never asked his friend about his relationship status, but expected of him to tell him if something was serious. But usually his relationships didn’t last more than a week.  
But maybe this was different. And Nabom looked like a nice girl. She was cute enough and apparently into this hip hop trend.  
“Yes, hello,” Jimin smiled, feeling his uneasiness melt away.  
“Hello,” Nabom said and shrieked behind Hoseok.  
“Now that introductions are over, let’s go and get a proper seat near the stage,” Hoseok said.  
“What?” Jimin looked around. The crowd was forming a circle around the centre of the room. Jimin followed Hoseok and Nabom, as they got closer. The beat started stronger than ever, and the crowd chirred, as the rappers got into the middle of the circle. They started the battle, and Jimin found himself enjoying it. The rappers got even more passionate, and they were really talented; especially the small one with the black hoodie. Jimin cheered for him more than he did for the others. And that’s why he was so shocked when one of the rappers nudged him a little and his hood fell off, revealing green hair and white skin. He was the guy that had gotten angry with him!  
#####  
Hyuk forced himself to open his eyes. A strong, painful light was pointed right to his eyes. But he couldn’t bring his hands up to cover them. Because he was tight up on what it looked like a chair.  
After his eyes finally adjusted, Hyuk realized with terror that he was sitting inf front of a table, set with the finest silverware and Chinas. There was food served on a plate in front of him. Hyuk realized that he was really hungry. His terror had sustained him till now, but he felt exhausted and weak. However his arms were still tighted.  
“Well, well, my little anger is awake,” a female voice said from behind him. It gave him chills down his whole body. Hyuk tried to turn and take a look at her, but he couldn’t turn back enough.  
“Oh, honey, stop that please. It makes me nervous.”  
“Who are you?” Hyuk whispered. He didn’t have the strength to yell, even though he wanted to.  
“I promise I’ll tell you when you are ready. For now, you can call me noona.”  
“Why? What is this?”  
“Too many questions,” two strong hands forced his head to face in front. Hyuk couldn’t escape her grip. “Do you want to eat?” Hyuk nodded. He had never been more scared in his life. “I’ll let you eat then. Damn, you’re so pretty!” He felt her hot breath on his neck, that made him shiver. She laughed and withdrew. Hyuk felt his arms being released. But his joy didn’t last long. He quickly found out that there were wires restraining him, making him a puppet in her hands. But at the moment, he didn’t care. He attacked the food before him with his bare hands. The woman laughed with satisfaction.  
“See. You have to understand. I’ll be good to you, if you’ll be a good boy. Oh, we’ll have so much fun! We’ll be like a family!” Hyuk heard her clap her hands with excitement. And it brought tears to his eyes, because he finally understood that this wasn’t a game. This wasn’t one of his friends’ jokes. This was reality and he had no chance to escape this one.  
#####  
Jonghyun stopped to catch his breath. The cool breeze hit his face and raffled his wet hair, that were dripping sweat on his forehead. He was taking his morning run, as usual, near the river. It was still grey and foggy, as the city was waking up. Some cars horned somewhere behind him and Jonghyun smiled. He liked the urban music in the morning.  
He leaned on the wall that separated the street from the river, and inhaled. Hyuk’s absence was still bothering him. He tried calling him multiple times the night before and he knocked at his door. He even stayed awake all night, listening through the wall, in case he could hear him making a sound and Jonghyun know that he was okay. But nothing came from Hyuk’s room.  
Jonghyun put his headphones back on and ran down the street. The shops were opening and the first traffic of the day was created. He lowered his pace and mingled with the crowd. If he had to do something urgent, then fine. But he surely would have to attend his morning lesson, and Ilhoon will report to him back.  
Jonghyun found himself in front of the café where Hyuk worked. Could someone from his workplace know something? Jonghyun walked in. The place was cozy and Jonghyun could see why Hyuk chose to work here. Some people were already taking their morning coffee. Jonghyun approached the counter. He recognized that guy that was friends with Hyuk behind it. Jonghyun took his headphones off and smiled at him. He needed him on his side.  
“Good morning,” the boy smiled back and brought a fresh patch of hot donuts out of the oven.  
“Good morning,” Jonghyun replied. “I’ll have the latte.”  
“Any sugar?”  
“No, thank you.”  
Jonghuyn played with the string of his hoodie, as he waited for the opportunity to bring the Hyuk subject up.  
“You know, I’m Hyuk’s friend,” he finally found the courage to say. The guy smiled sweetly.  
“Yes, I know.”  
“Oh, you do?” Jonghyun felt flattered and he didn’t know why. He knew he was handsome and people noticed him, but still, it was nice. And that guy wasn’t bad looking either, which made the complement even better.  
“Yes, Hyuk talks all the time about you guys. And you were here the other day.”  
“Oh, yes, right,” Jonghyun looked away, embarrassed. Fortunately the guy didn’t notice it.  
“Is Hyuk okay?”  
“Why are you asking?” Now that was interesting. Jonghyun was almost certain that Hyuk had a shift the afternoon before.  
“He didn’t show up yesterday. And he didn’t call to ask for a day off, as far as I know,” the guy handed him the coffee. But Jonghyun was too socked to take it.  
“So, you have no idea where he is!”  
“No, wait, did something happen?”  
“I don’t know. I came here to ask you if you knew anything.”  
“He said that he was going to his hometown next month, but that’s it. I don’t think that he is into drugs or a gang or something.”  
“Hell, no!” though that would have made sense, Jonghyun thought.  
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it. My imagination runs wild sometimes.”  
“No, you were right to think of that. Don’t worry,” Jonghyun said. He was too harsh on the boy, and it wasn’t even his fault. He was only trying to help.  
“Well, I better go then. Check out if Ilhoon found him at last.” Jonghyun paid and walked out of the café. That was disappointing. And he was more worried now than he was before. If even his work friends were worried about him, that meant that he was in trouble for real.  
“Wait!” someone called him and Jonghyun turned to find the coffee boy running after him.  
“What is it? Did he call?”  
“Um, no. I just wanted to ask you a favour.”  
“Okay.”  
“If you find him or at least know anything, can you call me?” the guy asked and handed him a napkin with his number on it. On top of it, it had Changhyuk written, probably the boy’s name. Jonghyun felt annoyed with himself. He should have been the one to ask the guy to call him if he remembered anything. He had seen it happen a hundred times on TV.  
“Yes, sure.”  
“Thank you. Hope you find him soon!” Changhyuk smiled and walked away. Jonghyun tossed the paper in his pocket and turned the music up again.  
######  
Hyuk was sick of being constantly blacked out. And he was even more sick of being constantly terrified. He couldn’t remember much of what had happened before he woke up in a small, dark room. Fortunately he wasn’t restrained by the wires any more, and he could move freely, though the room was too small and he could only take two steps. But there was a toilet and a tub where he freshen up. He couldn’t remember when it was the last time he had used a toilet or washed up. His clothes stunk and were shocked with sweat and blood. Though he doubted that he was going to get any new and clean clothes any day soon.  
He soon discovered the tined cup at the foot of the bed and drunk his heart out, then laid on the bed, sobbing. How could this be happening to him? Why him?  
“It’s going to be alright,” the calm, deep voice came from somewhere. Hyuk dried his cheeks and stood up.  
“Where are you?” he asked, sitting up.  
“I don’t know. I only heard you sobbing.”  
“Can you give me some answer now?”  
“It depends.”  
“On what?”  
“Look, I don’t really know much myself.”  
Hyuk realized that the guy must be a captive like him. And, as selfish as it was, he felt better that now there was someone else who shared this nightmare.  
“How long have you been here?”  
“I’m not sure. You can really lose track of time here,” he actually sounded sad.  
“I’m Hyuk.”  
“I’m Hongbin,” he said, pausing a little. He probably hadn’t heard his name in a while. Hyuk tried not to think about the prospect that he might end up not remembering his name too.  
“Have you ever seen her?”  
“I think I have. It’s a bluer every time and I can’t recall her face.”  
Hyuk wanted to ask him what she was going to do to him, but he was afraid that Hongbin wouldn’t want to be reminded of what he was going through and he was going to stop talking. Hyuk wanted him to keep talking. It somehow calmed him down.  
“You know, you should wash your clothes and let them dry,” Hongbin said. Hyuk blushed instantly. Why was this man asking him to take his clothes off?  
“You can use the blanket on the bed to cover yourself, while you wait for them to dry,” Hongbin said, as if he had guessed his shyness.  
“What if…what if she comes back?”  
“I don’t think she will. But if you don’t want to risk it…”  
Hyuk finally decided to risk it and follow Hongbin’s advice. When he was ready, he got under the blanket and they kept talking and talking, till Hyuk got sleepy and drifted off, feeling almost human.  
######  
Jimin was picking at his food. Hoseok eyed him with wonder. He hadn’t told him what had happen yet. He himself wasn’t sure if what had happen. The night before, after the rap battle, he went to the bar, still shocked, and ordered himself another drink. That girl from before showed up and insisted on offering him a drink and another and …  
Jimin woke up, ceiling spinning, head heavy as lead. He tried to focus, but it was hard not to be dizzy. He couldn’t remember what had happened last night, but at least he was in his bed, which was a relief. And then the bed started moving, and not because he had a hangover. Someone was in bed with him. Jimin started panicking. Could it be that girl? What was her name? Who was she?  
Jimin dared a glance over his shoulder, to be even more shocked. At the corner of his eye, he saw green hair. After that, things happen too fast. The guy got up and dressed grabbed his clothes from the floor, which was messy anyway and Jimin started apologizing for it. But the guy dismissed his apologies, got dressed and refused his offer for coffee.  
“Look, I don’t know how innocent you are or what, but this is a one night stand. We had fun, but we won’t see each other again. Got it!” Jimin only nodded, before the guy slammed the door as he left.  
“So? What’s the problem?” Hoseok said after listening to Jimin’s story.  
“I don’t know. It just doesn’t feel right.”  
“It’s because you are a relationship guy. Which is great. But the guy clearly doesn’t want to be your boyfriend. Just forget about him. We’ll found you someone else. And keep an eye on you, just in case you run off with another stranger the next time we go out.” Hoseok winked at him and Jimin smiled. He really had his way of making him feel better. Maybe they should stay away from that club, just in case they run into that guy again, with the green hair and the sexy voice that Jimin couldn’t stop thinking of.  
######  
Jonghyun kicked the door with his foot in frustration. Ilhoon set on his bed, clearly upset as well.  
“Did you ask the secretary or the chef?”  
“Of course I did. I asked everyone that is on our course. No one knows anything,” Ilhoon replied.  
“Should we call his parents?”  
“And upset them for no reason if he shows up tomorrow?” Ilhoon was right. Even the police didn’t file someone as missing prior to two days of absence.  
“So, we wait?”  
“We can’t do anything else for him. And if he hasn’t come back by tomorrow, we then give them a call.”  
“That idiot! What he had gotten himself into!”  
“We don’t know what happened yet,” Ilhoon was being way to calm about this and it started to get really annoying.  
“Look, we can’t lose it straight away. We need to pull our heads together and act like adults,” Ilhoon said, like he could read his mind. Maybe Jonghyun couldn’t hide his feeling as good as he thought he did.  
“Are you saying that I’m being childish for worrying about my friend?”  
“And do you think that I don’t? That’s so typical of you!”  
“Really? Blame it on me! At least I’m the one trying to do something about it!”  
“You’re not being reasonable, so I’m leaving!” Ilhoon got up and left, slamming the door behind him. Jonghyun cursed. Ilhoon liked to look down on everyone! That bastard! He was a coward and he hide it behind that arrogant ego. Hyuk didn’t need that. He needed someone to take action.  
On impulse, he picked up the phone and dialed the number off the napkin.  
“Changhyun? It’s Jonghyun. Can we meet?”  
######  
Hyuk felt a horrible pain at his chest and he almost lost his senses. But the wires held him up, piercing through his skin. He cried out, as something pocked him at the back. A fierce laugher busted out of her. She was enjoying this.  
“That’s my boy! Scream!” she yelled enthusiastically.  
“Please! Please, no more!” Hyuk begged. But she didn’t stop. She pocked him again. And again. Hyuk felt like vomiting, even though he hadn’t eaten anything all day. He was about to pass out again. Better than feeling this pain, he thought.  
“Please,” he whispered, his energy being drained out of him.  
“Leave him!” Hyuk heard Hongbin’s voice, but maybe he was imagining it. The pain was covering all his senses and he didn’t know what’s real and what wasn’t. He saw a pool of blood covering the floor in front of him, dripping of the walls. He was into a glass box, hanging from the wires. The glass was stained with filth and time. Or maybe dry blood. He could see faces passing by. One of them looked like Ilhoon. Oh, God, please, don’t let it be Ilhoon! He couldn’t have been captured too!  
“What? I thought you enjoyed pain!’ she laughed again. That sadist! She was making fun of him for being wick.  
“You’re killing him!” imaginary Hongbin insisted. The sharp pain overtook him again. When it stopped, Hyuk couldn’t breathe. He realized with horror that he was suffocating by his own blood. He coughed and coughed and coughed, seeing black butterflies dancing in his cage. Black butterflies and smoke. Was this it? He felt cold, so cold, like he was being frozen inside out.  
“Please!” Hongbin pleaded. And then nothing.  
######  
“Please, let’s go!” Hoseok whined for the tenth time. He really wanted to go to that club again. And Jimin didn’t want to tell him that the real reason why he himself avoided going there.  
“You can go, if you want. Take Nabom with you or one of the guys.”  
“I want to go there with you! You’re fun and my best friend.”  
Jimin wished that it wasn’t Friday, so he could lie about having an early class or something. Worst part about this was that Hoseok knew well about his schedule.  
“Come on! Promise I won’t leave you alone!”  
“It’s not that. I am still feeling sick from yesterday. Had to skip class, because my stomach was a mess.”  
“Okay, then,” Hoseok said, but he really looked sad. And Jimin felt guilty, really guilty. He had made his friend go on a ride on the rollercoaster a few months ago, even though Hoseok was seriously afraid. But he did it, for him.  
“You know what? Let’s go!” Jimin said and Hoseok jumped up and down with joy. Literally.  
“You serious? I mean, I don’t want to push you or anything!”  
“No, I’m fine,” Jimin lied. And he tried not to show how uncomfortable he was as they climbed the stairs down the basement, Nabom on their tail. The well known atmosphere overtook Jimin, who scanned the crowd for any green head. He didn’t want to appear like he was there for him. The guy had made it clear that he didn’t want anything to do with him. And he was a jerk to boot. He didn’t need a guy like him. And fortunately, he seemed not to be there.  
He actually didn’t appear at all. Towards the end of the night, Jimin started to feel disappointed, as he realized he really wanted to see him. In fact, he was looking forward to it.  
######  
Hyuk barely opened his eyes. And he wished he hadn’t. There was a tube connecting a dripping fluid to the veins of his arm. What was that? Moreover, he was tied up on the bed, in his dark little room.  
“Hongbin?” he asked, but he had no energy and it came out as a whisper. Hyuk started crying. Better dead than suffer that nightmare again. At least, in death, he wouldn’t suffer. At least he would be away from her.  
“Hyuk? Hyuk?” Hongbin called. But Hyuk couldn’t answer loud enough for him to hear him.  
“Hyuk? I’m sorry. Just hang in there. Please.” Then Hongbin did the most unexpected thing. He started singing. It was a lullaby. And by chance, it was exactly the same song his mother used to sing to him when he was sick or scared. Hongbin’s voice was soothing and melodically. It suited well with the black butterflies flying over his head.  
######  
“Thank you for meeting me,” Jonghyun said as he handed Changhyun a cup of coffee. Ironic. He was offering the coffee boy a coffee.  
“Did you have any news about Hyuk?” Changhyun asked, taking it nevertheless.  
“No,” Jonghyun answered and leaned back to enjoy the fresh air. They were seating at the stairs of the local park, where artists had painted them with colorful drawings to much the flowers all around.  
“I was trying to remember anything important all night. Maybe he said something and I missed it because I was too busy.”  
“Don’t do this to yourself!” Jonghyun yelled at him. The guy had the status the pushover written on his face with bright neon letters.  
“But what if it’s something that can give us a clue to where he is?” Changhyun asked shyly.  
“It’ll come to you. In any case, I was thinking that we should search his things. Maybe he had written something down or something.”  
“His things?”  
“Like his locker room at the coffee shop and his room.”  
“I guess I can get the key from the manager. He was upset over Hyuk not informing him about his absence and he won’t make a fuss about it.”  
“Great. That leaves us with his room. We have to break in.”  
“Hyuk said that he had given you and Ilhoon keys,” Changhyuk said and he got all pink. Jonghyuk cleared his throat.  
“I kind of lost mine.”  
“And Ilhoon?”  
“Look, it’s just you and me, alright? Now, will you help me or not?” Jonghyun snapped. He didn’t want to involve Ilhoon in it. He was still mad at him and he was certain that he was going to be all moral over his plan.  
“I want to help. I just don’t know how we can get into his room.”  
“I have it all figured out. We will sneak into the secretary’s room, take the key, search his room and put the key back where we found it.” Jonghyun was expecting Changhyun to chicken out, but to his surprise, he was actually thinking about it.  
“Can we do this? I mean, isn’t there someone in the office?”  
“I’ll tell the manager that my ceiling is dripping. He’ll follow me upstairs and you’ll get the key. We don’t have to return the key. They’ll replace it anyway.”  
“Okay. If it’s for Hyuk…”  
“It is for Hyuk!” Jonghyun grinned widely. Finally, someone who shared his feeling about this whole mess.  
“You know, if you keep up with the good work, I’ll actually start to like you!” Changhyun got all red now. Jonghyun laughed. Everything was working great.  
Jonghyun was enjoying himself, when he spotted Jimin jogging down the path towards them. Jonghyun cursed and turned away from him. Changhyun eyed him curious. Of course Jimin saw him.  
“Jonghyun!” he called and Jonghyun had to turn and smile to him.  
“Jimin,” he said. Jimin gave him his eye smile and set next to them. Great. Now this guy thought that they were friends or something.  
“Jonghyun, are you coming with us today?”  
“What?”  
“With the dancing group that I told you about.”  
“Dancing group?” Changhyun asked, sounding very excited. Now why had he had to get involved in this?  
“Yes. Do you dance?”  
“Um, not really. Don’t have time to,” Changhyun said.  
“Well, Jonghyun can take you with him at one of our gigs sometime.”  
“That’ll be great!”  
“Wait!” Jonghyun realized that he had been out of the conversation way too long. And these two were planning his afternoon without him. “Me and Changhyun have some business to attend to this afternoon. So, unfortunately, we can’t make it.” Jonghyun eyed Changhyun hoping that he would get the hint. Jimin’s smile widen, as he got up, dusting his pants.  
“Oh, I get it. Sorry, I didn’t want to ruin your date. Then, I’ll call you for our next meeting,” Jimin said and waved them.  
“What? Date? No, no this is not…” but Jimin had already gone.  
######  
Jimin was still smiling as he jogged away from Jonghyun and his friend. At least someone was having better luck with their dating life. Jonghyun was a difficult personality, but Jimin liked him and he was his school friend after all.  
He was thinking about what a great addition Jonghyun would be to their street dance group, when he spotted a familiar face behind the bushes. He stopped and walked backwards. Sure enough Nabom was there, kneeling behind the plants.  
“Nabom?” Jimin called and she jumped right up startled.  
“Jimin! Hi,” she said and Jimin smiled. He had surprised her.  
“What were you doing there? Do you need any help?”  
“No! I’m fine. I thought I lost my phone somewhere around here, but apparently it’s not here.”  
“Oh, you came here last night?”  
“I crossed it last night on my way home.”  
“It’s dangerous to walk in a park at night all alone. Why didn’t you ask one of us to take you home.”  
“That’s nice of you. Usually my neighbor brings me back, but he disappeared two nights now.”  
“Well, hope he shows up next time.”  
“He was there the first night you came. Maybe you have seen him. He was the rapper with the green hair.”  
Jimin’s heart skipped a beat. Not only he was thinking about him, but now he couldn’t even escape him. “I think I remember him,” Jimin lied. If that guy didn’t mention him to Nabom, he wouldn’t want to betray him. “What was his name again?”  
“Yoongi. I’ll introduce you when he comes to the club,” Nabom said.  
Jimin swallowed hard. What a mess! Now he really would have to avoid going to that club.  
“Jimin?” Nabom asked worried. Jimin tried to give her a smile and lied that he just remembered that he had a really important appointment that he had forgotten about and left her. A scary thought came to him. What if Nabom tell Yoongi that he was asking about him? Damn it!  
######  
She didn’t come into the room for the whole day. Hyuk just found fresh clothes and food, along with some medicine. He felt weak, but Hongbin made him get up and clean himself. He was wrapped up with bandages that had already started tearing blood. So it was more tricky to get clean and pull on the new clothes. It struck him that the garments were his exact size, which was odd, because he really had more important things to do.  
“Had this happen to you too?” Hyuk asked Hongbin, and regretted it immediately. If it had, he wouldn’t want Hongbin to relive that experience. He had already started considering him his friend. It was weird how under difficult situations you can form deeper relationships and easier than in real life. Because, sometimes, Hyuk felt that he was in a dream, a real bad dream.  
“Don’t go there, Hyuk. Just eat and regain some strength,” Hongbin only answered. So there were even more terrible things to be looking forward to?  
“What does she want from us? She doesn’t want to kill us obviously, but make us suffer? Torture us? I don’t really understand.”  
“There is no logic in madness, Hyuk.”  
“Hongbin,” Hyuk asked. He wanted to know if Hongbin was there when he thought he heard him pleading for him. But he couldn’t. Hongbin will only think of him as a fool if he hadn’t even been there. And why would he even beg for him, if he was there?  
“What is it? Are you okay?”  
“I’m fine. I just wanted to say thank you for…”  
“Thank you for what?”  
“For being here. I would have gone mad if it wasn’t for you,” Hyuk simply said, and it was true. Hongbin was some sort of guardian angel.  
“Don’t thank me. I’m not the man who you think I am,” Hongbin snapped and Hyuk was surprised. What had he said to make him mad?  
“You’re right. I don’t know you. But I’m grateful that I have someone to talk to.”  
“Okay,” Hongbin said and went silent. Hyuk was afraid to ask him if he was there. So he tried to get some sleep, but his wounds didn’t let him. Why had Hongbin reacted like that? Had Hyuk said something wrong? Hyuk cried in silence, afraid that Hongbin might hear him.  
######  
“I’m telling you, there was water last night. It dripped on my face, while I was sleeping!” Jonghyun called after the manager of the dorms, who was seriously pissed off. To his credit, Jonghyun had splashed some water on the ceiling, but till they got up to his room, the water had almost evaporated.  
The manager gave him a warning look, and Jonghyun retreated. He only hoped that the man wouldn’t get suspicious and check if something was missing. If something was missing, that is.  
Jonghyun wondered a little at the street outside the dorm, and he finally found Changhyun waiting at the back of the building. When Changhyun spotted Jonghyun, he smiled widely and started jumping up and down, as he held the key in his hand.  
“I did it! I did it!” he cried. Jonghyun smiled. That was probably the most thrilling thing the boy had ever done in his life. He should let him enjoy it.  
“Okay, you did a great job. Let’s use that key, now.”  
“Yes!”  
“And wipe that smile of your face. The manager is already suspicious as it is.”  
“Okay, got it!”  
Changhyun followed Jonghyun into the dorms, trying hard not to laugh. Jonghyun would have to teach the kid a thing or two after this mess with Hyuk was over. The potentials were there, he just needed some push, a good natured one of course. And how could even Jimin think that Changhyun was his boyfriend? The guy was cute, but not really his type.  
“We’re here,” Jonghyun announced, as he stopped in front of Hyuk’s door. Changhyuk almost bumped on him.  
“Um, shouldn’t we knock first? Just in case he’s back,” Changhyuk asked in a high pitched tone.  
“If he is, he deserves what is coming for him,” Jonghyun said, as he unlocked the door. Half of him hoped that they would find him in there. That he would be sleeping or playing internet games.  
But the room was pitch dark. Jonghyun couldn’t even make out the light switcher. When he turned the lights on, the messiness of the room was revealed. Damn it, Hyuk, Jonghyuk thought. Now it was even more difficult to find anything useful. The room looked like it had been hit by a hurricane; clothes, papers, even kitchen equipment were scattered everywhere. But at the corner of the bed, his suitcase was visible, which meant that he hadn’t gone on a long trip.  
Changhyun started searching Hyuk’s desk, as Jonghyun tried to find something.  
“Did you find anything?” Jonghyun asked after a while battling with garbage and sticky notes that had mostly ingredients written on them.  
“No, I don’t think so. Maybe you should try his laptop,” Changhyun answered, handing him the silver, thin device.  
“I should probably take this to my room,” Jonghyun said.  
“What if it has a password or something?”  
“I believe I know Hyuk well enough to guess it. Well, at least up until now I knew him well enough.”  
“You should check his online history as well. Maybe he was looking for tickets or a website that might give us a clue of his whereabouts.”  
“Good point,” Jonghyun agreed.  
“Then I should probably get going,” Changhyuk said and opened the door. They were out in the corridor and Jonghyun locked the door, while Changhyuk was watching if anyone should come by.  
“Where do you live anyway?” Jonghyun asked, raffling the things in his jacket’s pocket in search of his keys.  
“Near Pride’s square.”  
“That’s on the other side of the city!” Jonghyun was socked.  
“I do have to take three busses and the tube.”  
“It must take you half the day. Wait,” Jonghyun glanced his clock. “It’s one in the morning. By the time you get home, you’ll have to get ready for work.”  
“It won’t take that long to get there.”  
“Well, it was my fault that you got to be out that late on a school night. But, I’m the best on setting things right.”  
“What do you mean?”  
“You’ll stay here and you can go to work from here,” Jonghyun smiled. He liked the idea. That way he wouldn’t feel guilty of using the boy.  
“I can’t. Anyway, it won’t take that long…”  
“I won’t take no for an answer. You’ll stay at Hyuk’s room. Looks like he won’t be using it for the night,” Jonghuyn cut him off.  
“That’s not even possible. You can’t allow a stranger to sleep in your friend’s place.”  
“Hyuk trusts you.”  
“What if he comes back in the middle of the night?” Changhyuk insisted. He was starting to annoy Jonghyun with his persistence.  
“Then we’ll know for sure that he’s back and stop worrying about him.”  
“But it’s Hyuk’s room…”  
“Look, I know it’s a bit messy,” Jonghyuk thought about it. “Tell you what. You’ll sleep with me and help me with the laptop.”  
“What…” Changhyuk was all pink with shyness. But Jonghyun had made up his mind. He had hosted Ilhoon multiple times, and he had a air mattress that they used for that purpose.  
Jonghyun opened the door and shoved Changhyun in. “I promise I won’t bite,” he said, grinning, which made Changhyun even more uncomfortable. This made Jonghyun even more amused.  
######  
Hyuk was still recovering, when she came. Of course, he didn’t see her. She set at the edge of the bed, stroking his hair. She smelled too strongly of lavender. Hyuk kept his eyes shut, not wanting to face her. Not having seen her face, made it all unreal. Like a bad dream, when you can’t see or remember the villains’ faces.  
“Hyuk, my pretty, pretty boy,” she breathed and Hyuk shivered. He hated her. Hated her like he had never hated anyone before. And he held back his tears. He didn’t want to show her more weakness than he demonstrated in the torture room. Hyuk understood that she loved it when he was afraid of her.  
“Why don’t you open your eyes? We’re family now, after all,” she said sweetly. No, no! we aren’t, Hyuk wanted to scream, but held his tongue.  
“I understand why you don’t want to talk to me. You are mad at me because of yesterday. I didn’t want to do all that, but he gave me no choice. I did everything that he asks, everything to please him. And he resents me, that little…” her voice got louder and louder as she spoke. Hyuk started panicking. He didn’t want her mad. He even considered opening his eyes, taking a glimpse, to make sure she wasn’t caring a weapon with her. But she calmed herself quickly enough. “Well, I should make it up to you, shouldn’t I?” Hyuk felt her getting off the bed. She moved around a little and then nothing. Had she left? He was too scared to open his eyes and find out.  
Soon, he felt his head heavy, which was weird, as he had just woken up. He tried to get up, but he realized that he couldn’t move at all. Panic overtook him. What was happening to him? What had she done?  
He was at a stage of being terrified and hopeless for what seemed to last forever, when he finally felt a small tingle on his tiptoes. Slowly, he managed to open his eyes. He was sitting on a chair too small for him. There was a small table in front of him as well, with ingredients in display. Around him, horrible stuffed animals that had seen better days, were packed in a circle in this creepy playground. Pieces of broken glass were hanging from the ceiling, reminding of Hyuk of last night. Through them, Hyuk spotted a beeping red light at the corner. His heart flattered. She was recording him!  
It took him some time and effort to regain full control of his body. Fortunately, he wasn’t restrained. He felt numb, and his movements were awkward.  
“Now that my prince is awake, he can unwrap his gift,” her voice was echoed in the room. But Hyuk couldn’t see any present around. “See, I thought to give you something nice. Now you can cook whatever you like.”  
Hyuk eyed the ingredients. He wasn’t in the mood to cook, especially being forced to. But he didn’t want to make her angry. He slowly started getting himself familiar with the ingredients. There were some basics, flour, eggs, milk, and some cocoa powder and juice. Hyuk thought that maybe a cake would do, simple and efficient, though he didn’t see any oven anywhere. However he was in no position to think of anything better. She could eat it row for all he cared.  
To her credit, she didn’t come in. She let classical music play through the speakerphones, but she didn’t talk to him again. Hyuk was really tired, as the cold terror washed away and only constant fear prevailed. He no longer was reinforced by adrenaline, and so his hands were shaking as he tried to prepare the mixture.  
“Leave it there, I’ll have it baked for you,” she said, stopping the music as soon as he put the spoon down. So, she was there the whole time.  
“What now?” Hyuk asked weakly.  
“Well, you have two options. You can either get injected again and pass out until I have you back in your room, or…”  
“Or?” Hyuk asked impatiently. She was still playing with him, tormenting him with her words this time around.  
“Or you can be a good boy and follow me back to your room, blindfolded of course.”  
Hyuk could feel her smile rising on her face. She wanted him to select the second choice, to let her control him with his full permission this time and not because of the drugs. But he didn’t want to go through the effects of that poison again; he wasn’t even sure if his body could endure more chemicals.  
“What it’ll be then?” she sweetly asked.  
“You can blindfold me,” Hyuk said.  
“No tricks, no resistance. You will be under my obedience.”  
Hyuk nodded in agreement.  
“Good. Now close your eyes and don’t open them until I tell you so.”  
Hyuk obeyed, like he had agreed to. He didn’t want to face her anyway. The music started playing again. Hyuk counted his breathes. The noise of a door opening sounded over the music a few minutes later. She was quite, like a cat, as she kneeled next to him and folded his eyes. The cloth smelled lavender, just like her, and it made him itchy. But he didn’t dare move his hands. She then tight them together, anyway, and got him on his feet.  
“Let’s go,” she said, excitement stinking her voice. Hyuk wished that it will be over soon. They started walking, her at the front, dragging him from the hands. She was strong enough, neither tall enough, as Hyuk felt her movements. But Hyuk wasn’t strong enough either, after his tortures.  
“I hope you enjoyed my gift. I really want you to forgive me for yesterday.” Had only one day passed since that horrible nightmare? Hyuk remembered Hongbin’s words about losing time after a while in here.  
“I strongly believe that we will have the best time together! The three of us,” she continued on, as they walked and walked. The air was too warm and moisture and smelled awfully. They finally stopped, and a door opened and they walked in. She guided him on his bed, and took off the rope from his hands. Then she stroke his hair, her bony fingers burning his skull.  
“So handsome.” She pressed her lips on his cheek and Hyuk jolted back immediately. He was still blindfolded, and in the darkness, it was like playing the cat and mouse game. And he was terrified that she got mad by his reaction. But he didn’t want her near him.  
But to his surprised, she started laughing. Laughing like a mad person. But she was a mad person after all.  
“Too soon, cupcake? I’ll have your cake ready soon!” she said cutely and left. He tiered the cloth off as soon as he heard the door closing, and started crying hysterically. So this was it? This was what he would be waiting for every time he woke up? No, it couldn’t be. Hyuk went to the door and slamed his feasts hard on it. As it was metallic, and echoed a piercing sound, like a drum in a concert. He banged and banged and banged, screaming, yelling, pleading, begging. His legs finally betrayed him and he collapsed on the dirty floor, crying. His hands were bleeding and he felt his whole body on fire.  
“Hyuk? Calm down,” Hongbin’s voice came through the walls.  
“You will hurt yourself. Stop it!”  
“Leave me alone!” Hyuk screamed.  
“You have to pull yourself together,” Hongbin said calmly.  
“Oh, now you are concerned? Your mood swings are seriously annoying.”  
“Hyuk,” Hongbin went silent for a few minutes. Hyuk started to think that he had fallen asleep. “You are not mad at me, but at her.”  
“I am mad at both of you!”  
“Why?” Hyuk could swear he heard sadness in his voice. But he didn’t care.  
“Well, let’s see. She abducted me and tortured me…”  
“I’m sorry about that. I tried to stop her, but…”  
“So you were there!” Hyuk couldn’t believe it. He hadn’t dreamed it after all. Hongbin was there that day, and he had begged her to stop hurting him. Hyuk felt a warm feeling inside him, mixed up with guilt.  
“I… She made me watch,” Hongbin admitted.  
“Did she torture you too?”  
“In a way.”  
“I don’t understand,” Hyuk went and set on his bed. He was exhausted, both physically and mentally. But he was glad that he could talk to Hongbin again.  
“What?”  
“Why you helped me then and then you stopped talking to me. You even got angry with me.”  
“I am sorry. I thought about it and I guess I was wrong. But you think of me as a saint, and I’m not. You should understand that.”  
“I just think of you as my friend,” Hyuk said. He wanted to thank him for what he had done, to tell him that he was his angel, his only hope. But he didn’t say any of these. He didn’t say that, even though he knew him for a few days, and had never seen him, even though they only talked from the wall between them, Hyuk cared about him. Because if he had, Hongbin would have stopped talking to him for good. He obviously blamed himself for what had happened to him, and probably for what is happening to Hyuk now. So Hyuk kept all these things to himself.  
They talked for a while, until Hyuk was unable to keep his eyes open. Then they said good night, and Hyuk drifted off, thinking of the madness that he was living. Of his abductor and her crazy ideas. Of Hongbin and his foolish guilt. Of himself, who stupidly was falling for the guy in the next room.  
########  
Jimin walked down the street to the coffee shop. He had a late morning course and he thought that a coffee before it would do the trick of waking him up. Even if he had promised himself to stay away from the club, Nabom had called Hoseok to inform him that they had a free style dance competition. And as the whole group had agreed to go, Jimin couldn’t stay out of it.  
He tried to calm himself by thinking the low possibilities of Yoongi being there. He didn’t strike him as a dancer after all. Some scenes of his drunken night had come back slowly, but they were mainly fragments. And to be true to himself, he had to admit that he didn’t want to remember anything. Better that that night to stay a blank space in his memory. That way it may have been easier to forget.  
And Jimin did calm down, after seeing Nabom alone. He didn’t dare ask her if her friend was joining them, but as the night proceeded and he hadn’t shown up, Jimin relaxed and enjoyed himself. He even joined the other on the dance floor.  
But when he came back to their table, his heart almost stopped. There he was, sipping his drink calmly, his hair, now soft blond, falling in his eyes, pushed down by his baseball cup. Jimin tried to act normally and avoid eye contact with Yoongi, as Nabom introduced everyone. And to Jimin’s surprise, the rapper acted like it was the first time he had ever seen him. Actually, his manner was kind of jerky. The guy was too full of himself, bragging about his music and his skills throughout the night. Jimin started to wonder why he even had bothered with him.  
Jimin was so annoyed that he couldn’t sleep that night. And so he really needed a strong coffee in order to get through the morning class. He entered the coffee shop and he was disappointed by the long line in front of him. He stood behind a tall guy in a suit, probably an office clerk, who was talking to his phone. He actually started yelling at some point and then stormed off.  
Jimin was amused by that scene and felt lucky that he had moved a place at the front. But when he turned back from the door that was still swinging by the strong push it had gotten by the guy, he almost cursed, as his eyes met with Yoongi’s. Yoongi actually cursed out loud and gotten some dirty looks by the customers around him. Jimin doubted that he cared.  
Jimin made himself step forward, and now he was standing behind Yoongi. He was wearing his ripped jeans and a leather jacket, the cup from yesterday on his head. Not that Jimin noticed. He got his cell phone out and got through his texts, wondering if Hoseok had woken up yet.  
“If this is a petty attempt to get together, it won’t work,” Yoongi said, his back still at Jimin.  
“Excuse me?”  
“It seems that you are everywhere I go. Just to be clear, I hate stalkers.”  
“I’m not stalking you. If anything, you are following me.”  
“Really?” Now Yoongi turned around, his face expression so scary, Jimin had to restrain himself to from falling backwards. “How so? Well, let’s see. I go to the club, there you are. I go for a coffee, here you are again…”  
“Nabom invited the whole team, and I couldn’t say no. And this is my usual coffee place, as it’s close to my college.”  
“Let’s hope for your sake that’s true.”  
“It is true!” Jimin was so angry, he started laughing. He hated when that happened, as none took him seriously because of that. Yoongi actually made a face and turned over, as it was his turn to order. Wow, that guy had a huge gamma of facial expressions.  
“Nice hair,” Yoongi commented to Jonghyun’s boyfriend, as he paid for his coffee. The boy smiled awkwardly and thanked him.  
“Do you know this guy?” Yoongi continued, nodding towards Jimin. Jimin felt heat burning his face. What was this guy up to?  
“Yes, he comes often here with his friends,” the boy said, eying Jimin. Jimin smiled at him, and he smiled back.  
“Oh, just checking,” Yoongi said snobbishly and walked away. Jimin was so angry, his sleepiness was gone.  
“Sorry about that,” he told Jonghyun’s friend.  
“No problem.”  
“How’s Jonghyun?” he asked.  
“Oh, fine. You go to college with him, I gather.”  
“Yes, we’re friends.” Jimin smiled.  
“I’m jealous of you guys; communicating through dancing and music and all.”  
“But you can come as well, maybe try some moves or something.”  
“I don’t know about dancing, but I’d love to watch you guys.”  
“Then it’s a date! I’ll call Jonghyun to let him know about the dates.”  
Jimin felt a little better after his conversation with Jonghyun’s friend. He took his coffee and he walked out, almost cheerfully. The day was sunny and warm, and Jimin felt the spring breeze on his face. He seeped his coffee excited, when Yoongi jumped in front of him, almost bumping on him and making him spill his coffee all over him.  
“What…?” Jimin was so surprised he just stared at him.  
“So, you weren’t lying about the coffee shop, but that doesn’t prove anything about the club.” As he was the same height, Yoongi’s eyes were piercing him with such energy, Jimin felt even more uncomfortable.  
“My friend is in love with that place, and he wants to go there all the time.”  
“And why don’t you just deny joining him?” Yoongi sneered. Clearly the guy didn’t have any friends.  
“I really don’t get it. Why are you so annoyed that I go to that club? I mean, you’re the one who said that it meant nothing. Why are you making a big deal out of it?”  
Yoongi got all red, worse than how he had reacted at the club, when Jimin had spilled his drink all over him. Jimin got scared. Yoongi had a murderous look on his face.  
“You little sh…” Yoongi started a long speech that didn’t flatter Jimin at all. Jimin started wondering how he’d even come up with those terms and adjectives.  
“So, I’m right,” Jimin interrupted him, taking a ship of his coffee. He was unusually calm. But he was actually very amused by Yoongi’s outburst.  
“Right about what?” Yoongi was taken by surprised.  
“You are interested in me.”  
“You got that out of what I said?” Yoongi looked at him like he was a mad person.  
“You wouldn’t be here if you weren’t. And you just spent about ten minutes lecturing me. So…” Jimin smiled, loving it.  
Yoongi’s eyes widen. He looked away from Jimin, trying to calm himself. “You really don’t want to get involved with me,” he finally said.  
“I never said I wanted to. But we can be friends,” Jimin suggested.  
“Friends? Why would I want to be friends with you?”  
“Why not? Look, I have to go to my class. Just think about it.”  
“I don’t have to think about f…” Yoongi started, but Jimin spotted Jongyun coming their way. He waved him hello immediately.  
“Jonghyun! You’re going to class, right?”  
“Aren’t you?” Jonghyun asked, eying Yoongi, who eyed him back.  
“I’m on my way. Let’s go together.”  
“What about your boyfriend?” Jonghyun nodded at Yoongi.  
“Wow, bro, what are you talking about?” Yoongi snapped.  
“Okay, sorry. Jimin, if we are to get there on time, you have to start walking,” he said to Jimin and walked off. Jimin said goodbye to Yoongi and left. He could kiss Jonghyun for what he said.  
######  
The spider webs above his head seemed to be spelling him something. Hyuk just hated spiders. Thinking of them crawling all over him when he was asleep gave him the chills.  
He tried to ignore them, but they seemed to swarm over his head. And he could swear that they were getting bigger and bigger. Their long legs were tangling their sick masterpieces, making all kinds of noises. He focused on the walls, but they occupied even them, and the room wasn’t big enough to look elsewhere.  
“Mine has spiders as well,” Hongbin said, when Hyuk commented about it.  
“Do they bite?”  
“I think that they don’t.” Which wasn’t reassuring. “I wouldn’t worry much about them. Just don’t…” Hongbin stopped short. “She is coming.”  
Hyuk’s heart flattered. What had she planned for him now?  
Soon enough she was unlocking the door. But she didn’t come in. She just cracked the door and waited. What was happening?  
“Do you want the drug or the chains?” she asked.  
“Neither!” Hyuk snapped.  
“You know that that’s not a choice. I’ll repeat myself, chains or drug?”  
“I’m not doing this again!” Hyuk screamed, as the door busted open. She was small in size, as Hyuk had figured last night. But he couldn’t see her face, as she wore a leather must. Probably to intimidate him.  
“I thought we had a deal. You’ll be a good boy, and I won’t hurt you!” she said. She was caring long chains along with her, that cricked and echoed, as she drugged them along.  
“Leave me alone! What do you want from me?” He had to think fast. He was stronger than her, and taller, which could be used to his advantage. But in order to escape, he had to form a plan and that meant to keep her busy until he did.  
“You don’t get it, do you? I thought you were a smart boy. But I was wrong, wasn’t I?” No time to think. It was now or never. Hyuk attacked her. He had no weapon, and no room to move properly, as she had cornered him into the space between the bed and the wall.  
He crashed on her, as she let him come close to her. They both fell on the ground, Hyuk feeling the adrenaline rushing through him. And then, a sharp pain overtaking his whole body, and Hyuk fell on the ground next to her, spamming violently, until he felt no more.  
######  
Jonghyun was still smiling, as he waited for Changhyun to arrive. He had so enjoyed it when he repaid Jimin the boyfriend comment. Although that other guy was kind of scary when he got angry.  
“Jonghyun!” Changhyun called, as he came full speed towards him. He was panting when he finally made it.  
“Here you are. We need to hurry, if we don’t want Ilhoon to find out.”  
“I’m so sorry,” Changhyun apologized, and followed Jonghyun into the pastry chef college. Jonghyun hadn’t found anything in his laptop, and so he had decided that it was time to visit Hyuk’s college to gather some information. The tricky part was, however, that Ilhoon was there. Jonghyun called him after his morning ran, to finally make peace. And to make sure that he wouldn’t be there when he and Changhyun visited his school.  
“Where do we start?” Changhyun asked, when they entered the building. Jonghyun had only been once into Hyuk’s college, but he remembered his way around.  
“We should go into the cafeteria and ask if anyone knows Hyuk. We’ll go from there.”  
They entered the cafeteria, which was full of students, manly at their laptops.  
“How are we going to ask who knows him?”  
“Well, watch and learn,” Jonghyun smiled and set on a table. Changhyun mimicked him, as he took the seat next to him. Soon, the waitress came to take their order. Jonghyun asked for two juices, not even caring of the flavor and then he started flirting with the girl.  
“So, you’re like the center of this college, aren’t you?”  
“I don’t know about that,” the girl said shyly.  
“Oh, come on. There’s no need for modesty. I mean, you must know everything that happens around here. For example, I bet you know where the pastry students sit,” Jonghyun lead his bate. And sure enough she took it.  
“Well, yes. The guys over there, are the pastries, but it’ obvious. They are wearing their aprons.”  
Jonghyun felt Changhyun’s eyes on him the whole time. He hoped that the boy was taking notes, as Jonghyun was displaying his full charm. Finally, Jonghyun dismissed the girl, who was still giggling, and eyed the pastry students at the table at the corner.  
“We should go and talk to them,” Jonghyun said. “Maybe you can try yourself this time.”  
“Try what?”  
“Getting information out of them like I did with the waitress.”  
“You could have simply asked her what you wanted in the first place. You didn’t have to go through all that trouble.”  
“I wanted to show you how it’s done. I think you can learn a thing or two while we hang out.”  
“Um, I don’t know,” Changhyun said confused.  
“Look, if you think you’re not ready yet, it’s fine. The trick is to be confident and to think quick.”  
Jonghyun knew that Changhyun felt uncomfortable, but he didn’t let it slow him down. He got up before the coffee boy could resist and walked over the table, where about seven pastry students were sitting.  
“Hello,” he said and everyone turned at looked at him. Jonghyun felt the ping of awkwardness straight away, but he kept going. “Sorry to bother you. See, I’m a friend of Hyuk’s. Do you know him? He studies to be a pastry chef here.” For a second, he saw the plank faces and he started doubting. But then a girl smiled and Jonghyun relaxed.  
“Yes, we know Hyuk. Where has he disappeared to?”  
“Well, actually, that’s what I came here to ask you. May I sit?” The students nodded in agreement.  
“What happened to him?” a boy asked.  
“I don’t know. He is not answering his phone, not showing up for his appointments and he hadn’t come back to his room.”  
“He hasn’t come to classes either,” the girl said.  
“I was wondering if he said something to you guys. Maybe he wanted to go and get ingredients from a farm on the countryside or something.”  
“No, he didn’t say anything to us, right?” the boy said and everyone nodded in agreement.  
“Maybe he is with his girlfriend,” another boy suggested.  
“Girlfriend?” Jonghyun asked. Hyuk had never said anything about being in a relationship, and he sure hoped that, as his friend, Hyuk would have told him if he was interested into someone.  
“You don’t know?” a girl asked surprised.  
“No, as far as I know, he is single.”  
“Well, there was this girl who came a few weeks ago and she said that she was Hyuk’s girlfriend and she was looking for him. She said she had left her pursue at his place and she couldn’t remember his address,” the first girl said puzzled.  
“How did she look like?” Jonghyun asked.  
“Average, I would say. Short, cute, blondish hair,” one of the guys said.  
“And you said she was looking for Hyuk’s place?”  
“Yes. I said I didn’t know and she left.”  
“Hmm, anything else?”  
“I don’t think so. Except, she said not to tell Hyuk, because she didn’t want him to think that she forgot his address.”  
“Okay, well, if you remember anything, can you give me a call?”  
“Sure.” Jonghyun gave them his cell phone number and went back to Changhyun.  
“Anything?” the boy asked.  
“They said that Hyuk’s girlfriend came here some weeks ago asking about his home address.”  
“I didn’t think that Hyuk had a girlfriend,” Changhyun said.  
“He didn’t,” Jonghyun replied gloomily. This was so messed up. And it meant that it was time to call Hyuk’s parents and report him to the police as missing.  
######  
Jimin stayed overtime in the practice room, working on some new moves and trying to add them to his new choreography. He hadn’t found the perfect song yet, but he wanted the movements to be perfect as well. He was in the room for hours and hadn’t noticed how the time had gone by. He rushed into the shower room and got cleaned up, before buying three bottles of water and finishing them up under one minute. He hadn’t realized how thirsty and hungry he was.  
Jimin stormed outside, his hair still dripping water. He held his bag over his shoulder, waiting for the traffic light to turn green, as he headed for the small restaurant at the corner of the road.  
“Jimin!” a female voice called and Nabom rushed to his side, Yoongi on toe. He sure didn’t look happy to see him again. Jimin smiled at them.  
“Nabom, hey. What brings you over?”  
“We were just passing by. You remember Yoongi from last night?”  
“Yes, he remembers me,” Yoongi answered for him.  
“Okay,” Nabom gave him a puzzled look, but didn’t comment further about it. “Well, we were about to get something to eat. Do you want to join us?”  
“Nabom!” Yoongi yelled.  
“Yoongi, be nice! Sorry, he’s a little anti social,” Nabom said the last one to Jimin.  
“I’d love to,” Jimin said, knowing that that would make Yoongi mad. “I;m actually on my way to get some lunch.”  
“Of course you are,” Yoongi snorted, but Jimin ignored him.  
They set on a table and Jimin ordered. Soon the dishes arrived, and Jimin dug in, without taking a breath.  
“So, you had back to back classes today?” Nabom asked, watching him wolfing down his ramen.  
“I was working on a choreography, actually, that’s why I was late today for lunch.”  
“How’s it going?”  
“Well, I still need a song for it,” Jimin said, swallowing.  
“I’ve got an idea!”  
“No!” Yoongi cut in. He was eating quietly till now.  
“Why not? I think that it will be great for you two to work together.”  
“What are you saying?” Jimin asked confused.  
“Yoongi is writing great music, so I was thinking maybe he can help you,” Nabom said.  
“It might work,” Jimin said, after thinking about it. He needed a song and fast, as the competition he was aiming for was in a few weeks.  
“I doubt my music will suit him,” Yoongi said, a little uninterested.  
“Why don’t you see his choreography first and then decide,” Nabom suggested.  
“That sounds like a plan, actually,” Jimin said. Yoongi puffed.  
“You’re planning all these without me,” he whined, but Nabom didn’t stop.  
“How about tomorrow? Yoongi can come to your practice room or something.”  
“I’m working tomorrow,” Yoongi stated.  
“But you’re free in the afternoon,” Nabom said.  
“I was planning of getting a nap.”  
“You’re always sleeping! If Jimin is free, I insist that you two meet!”  
“I’m available tomorrow afternoon. And the college is open twenty four hours so we can stay there till late,” Jimin said.  
“Come on! Try it!” Nabom nudged him.  
“Okay! Fine! We’ll meet at five at that coffee shop,” Yoongi said.  
“What coffee shop?” Nabom asked, but Jimin was so excited, he didn’t care to answer her. Scary part was, he didn’t know whether he was more excited about getting a chance of getting a song for his piece or getting to spend some time with Yoongi.  
######  
Hyuk rubbed his hands around his throat. He was wearing a choker that was connected with a chain to the wall, forcing him to stay on his four, just like a dog. His clothes were almost ripped, just cloth hanging of his body. She had shocked him with electricity and Hyuk still felt its effects.  
Two red, woman’s shoes appeared in front of him. Hyuk swallowed. She was here to give him his punishment. And Hyuk couldn’t imagine what that would be.  
“You have been a really bad boy, Hyuk. A really bad boy. You and Hongbin were plotting behind my back.”  
“We weren’t! This was all my idea!” Hyuk screamed. He hadn’t realized that his actions will have consequences on Hongbin as well.  
“Liar!” she yelled so hard, Hyuk had to cover his ears. And then she stroke him with her wipe. Hyuk screamed in pain.  
“Don’t ever lie to me again!” she said harshly and grabbed his chin with her nails, forcing him to look at her. Hyuk panicked. She didn’t look scary. Worse. She looked normal, except of that smirk on her face and her wild eyes that made her look evil. Straight out of hell, Hyuk thought immediately.  
“Or attack me,” she smiled and tore her eyes off him to the other side of the room. It was a dark, but Hyuk could make out the shape of another person chained up like him. Hyuk’s blood froze in his veins. He had no doubt; that was Hongbin.  
Hongbin raised his head and their eyes met. He had a handsome, manly face and piercing eyes that made Hyuk shiver, as they were filled with sorrow and fear.  
“You two were bad boys, and you will be punished,” she said and freed Hyuk from her claws. She walked slowly towards Hongbin, her wipe cutting the air. Hongbin glued himself on the wall and she laughed.  
“No! Stop!” Hyuk couldn’t help but pleaded, as he guessed what she was about to do. Of course that didn’t stop her. She crushed her wipe on Hongbin, who cried in pain. Hyuk closed his eyes shut, as he saw the blood being spilled everywhere.  
“Open your eyes! Look at him! Or I’ll keep hitting him until his skin leaves his bones,” she barked. Hyuk didn’t want to, but Hongbin’s cries made forced him to open his eyes, as his tears dripped down his face, just like Hongbin’s blood on the dirty floor.  
######  
“Jonghyun, you’re wasted,” Ilhoon stated. But he wasn’t in better shape. Actually, the only person still able to walk straight was Changhyun.  
“Let’s put you two in a taxi,” the coffee boy said, dragging both of them towards the street.  
“I don’t want to go home,” Jonghyun complained, and Ilhoon giggled.  
“Changhyun will take you home, Changhyun, make sure he’s in his room before leaving him,” Ilhoon said and got into the taxi that had pulled over.  
“You ass!” Jonghyun cried, as the car disappeared into the highway. “He stole our cab!”  
“The dorms aren’t far from here. I think we can walk. It will sober you up a little,” Changhyun said and let Jonghyun support himself on the boy’s shoulder. Jonghyun was taller than him, but the boy held him up efficiently enough.  
“Do you think we’ll find him?” he asked, after a few minutes. Or was it a few seconds?  
“We will. Don’t give up,” Changhyun said to encourage.  
“But I’ve failed him,” Jonghyun wasn’t at his best. He rarely put himself down. But after calling Hyuk’s parents and finding out that he hadn’t contact them either, he got desperate. All this time he was hoping that Hyuk will show up, that he wasn’t in serious trouble. But he was wrong. Hyuk had disappeared and there was nothing he could do about it. The policemen at the station said so, when he and Ilhoon went there to report Hyuk as missing.  
“You did your best. Don’t blame yourself. That won’t help Hyuk, anyway.”  
“I’m his best friend!”  
“We can still keep looking. That mysterious girl is a lead.”  
“We have no idea where to find her, or how!” Jonghyun fell on his knees and started crying. He really hated crying, especially in public spaces, but he couldn’t help it. He was emotionally drained. And drunk.  
“Hey, everything’s going to be alright,” Changhyun said, hugging him tight. And Jonghyun cried like a baby.  
“Tomorrow it’ll be a new day. Don’t let this take you down,” Changhyun released him from his embrace.  
“I…I’m just not sure if I’ll see Hyuk again,” Jonghyun admitted.  
“Don’t give up on him. Not yet,” Changhyun smiled and wiped the tears of Jonghyun’s cheeks. His touch was a relief, a calm note into the chaos of his mind. Jonghyun’s eyes drifted from his steady eyes that hide a hint of sadness, was it for him? To his sharp cheekbones, to his pretty lips. And Jonghyun did the one thing he shouldn’t but couldn’t help. He kissed the coffee boy. And then pulled away and threw up.  
######  
Hyuk hadn’t heard from Hongbin. She took him away when he passed out, but left Hyuk in that room, chained up. The blood stank, but Hyuk couldn’t smell it anyway, as he cried for hours and hours. She came in when he was done and no more tears could come anymore. She didn’t say anything but she was smiling, as she left him food and water.  
Hyuk couldn’t do anything else, but lie on his back, even though it hurted after the wipe he had received. The ceiling had the same broken glass hanging from invisible chains that played with the red light of the cameras. Hyuk sank into his sorrow, feeling less of a man, less of a human actually. He kept recalling Hongbin’s face, pale and stained with blood, his blood, deformed by the pain and agony.  
She finally came back and chained his hands together and blindfolding, before releasing him from the chocker. She led him into a bathroom, where she let him relief himself and clean up. Then she made him walk for what seemed like forever, till they reached another room and she made him sit on a chair, before chaining him again.  
“Now, take off your blindfold and let’s eat. Like a family,” she announced. Hyuk pulled off the cloth from his eyes. He discovered that he was back in the same dinner room where he had been forced to have his first meal at this place. But this time, across the table, Hongbin was sitting.  
He was still pale, almost green, as he looked sick. But he was there, trying to appear strong. He looked at him as well, and their eyes locked. He didn’t make any facial expression, or said anything, but Hyuk understood what he wanted to say, as if he was talking to him through the silence. “Stay strong. We’ll get through this.”  
“Let’s eat!” she ordered. Hyuk grabbed his fork trembling and got a bite. It tasted like ash. But after a glance towards Hongbin he kept eating. He needed to gain some strength, even though he didn’t want to eat. Hongbin himself was eating, even though it was obvious that he was in constant pain. And Hyuk cried in silence, because he knew that he had brought Hongbin’s pain.  
######  
Jonghyun’s head was about to burst. He held his head in his hands, as he waited for Changhyun to finish serving and cleaning the tables. He had already taken a pill for his headache, and drank four coffees, but still he felt sick.  
“Sorry that kept you waiting,” Changhyun said, taking a seat opposite to him.  
“No, that’s fine. You’re working, anyway.”  
“How are you feeling?”  
“Let’s not go there. I won’t take much of your time. I just wanted to apologize for last night. I was out of line,” Jonghyun said. Changhyun looked away. Clearly it was an embarrassing subject for both of them.  
“You were drunk and in bad shape. Don’t worry about it.”  
“That’s a relief,” Jonghyun leaned back, a little lighter. “Now we can get back on working together to find Hyuk.”  
“What? We ‘re continuing the search?” Changhyun looked at him surprised.  
“Of course. I don’t trust the police to find him quick enough.”  
“Where do we start?” Jonghyun smiled. He was glad that Changhyun was still in after all that happen.  
“Oh, wait,” Changhyun ran behind the counter, as a guy with glossy blond hair was ready to order. Jimin’s boyfriend, Jonghyun thought, and he was ready to go and talk to him, when he remembered his face the last time they met and thought it was better not to bother him.  
######  
Jimin rushed into the coffee shop, his heart pounding. He was ten minutes late and, if he knew Yoongi, he was going to be mad at him. He found him taking his coffee at the table of the corner. He was wearing his headphones and he was deep into his music. Jimin took the seat next to him. Yoongi looked up and for a few seconds their eyes met, as he was trying to recognize him. Jimin couldn’t help but smile brightly. Yoongi didn’t answer his smile.  
“You’re late,” he snapped, as he got up, wearing his hat.  
“Sorry,” Jimin said and followed him out, nodding towards Changhyun and Jonghyun who were apparently having a date too. No, he wasn’t on a date. Not really.  
“Thank you for agreeing to do this,” Jimin said, as they headed towards his college.  
“I didn’t agree into it. I was forced, there’s a difference. If it wasn’t for Nabom…”  
“You two are close.”  
“Not really. She allows me to rent a room at her place for a reasonable price. So I can’t really make her angry, can I? Anyway, I don’t really know why she took interest in you. She takes on some projects from time to time and I learned not to ask.”  
“So, you’re not from here?”  
“No, I came here for the rap scene. You have more opportunities to make music here.”  
“I guess you’re right. But you work too,” Jimin commented.  
“I have to support myself till I get the big deal,” Yoongi said. They entered the building and Jimin led him into the practice room. Fortunately, it was empty and Jimin turned the lights on.  
“I’ve got a scholarship from my high school to study dance and modern art. I was working at this super market, but it closed so I have to find a new job. To be honest, I am deep in depth and this competition will help me settle things.”  
Jimin took a chair from the cabinet and unfolded it for Yoongi, who went and set on it quietly.  
“So, what’s that competition anyway?” Yoongi asked.  
“It’s a national one. The first prices get money as an award, but scouts and people from the music scene will be there too to watch us. Maybe, if we reach a settlement, you might get an opportunity too.”  
That seemed to interest Yoongi, who smiled, a genuine smile and Jimin thought that he looked so cute when he smiled.  
“Do I get a piece of the price as well?”  
“I guess,” Jimin said, stretching.  
“Well, let’s see what you’ve got,” Yoongi gestured, taking a comfy posture.  
Jimin danced, a little shy at the beginning, as Yoongi was watching. But he let loose and danced just like he would have if Hoseok was there. When he finished, he stood in the middle of the stage, taking deep breathes. He was soaked wet, but he felt a rush of joy through his whole body.  
“So, what did you think?” Jimin asked, after realizing that Yoongi wasn’t going to say anything.  
“I have to work on it for a few days,” he finally said.  
“So, does that mean…?”  
“I’m going to get paid, aren’t I?”  
“Only if I get the prize.”  
“Then I’ll make a killer song and you will win it just because of that,” Yoongi said and got up.  
“So, are you going to call me when you are ready?” Jimin wiped the sweat of his forehead with his towel.  
“Aren’t you going to buy me food? I mean, I just spent my afternoon for you.”  
“Um, yes, sure.” Jimin rushed into the locker room and got ready super quick. He really wanted to talk with Yoongi more. He found him very interesting and he didn’t know when he would be getting the opportunity again to get together with him. And the whole money thing had gotten him into the best mood Jimin had ever accoutered him with.  
“What took you so long?” Yoongi was waiting by the door.  
“Sorry,” Jimin said, opening the door for him.  
“You say sorry too many times that I’m starting to think that you don’t mean it,” Yoongi commented and Jimin could swear that he smiled as he said it.  
“Okay, I won’t say it again.”  
“Or even better, stop doing the stuff you are sorry later at the first place.”  
Jimin laughed. And he continued to laugh throughout the night. They talked about Yoongi’s music and his ambitions, about Jimin’s love for dancing and his dance group. Jimin thought that they started to connect and that he wasn’t the only one enjoying himself, but, when they were saying goodnight, Yoongi cut him off roughly and disappeared in the dark of the night.  
Jimin watched him walk away, as he was coming to realize that he was falling for the guy who told him not to fall in love with.  
######  
She let him use his room for the night, after spending the whole day in the room with the toys with her. She cleaned up Hongbin’s wounds and made him help her. The cuts were deep, and they had been infected, as they were oozing yellow liquid and had almost turned green. She injected him with antibiotics, or at least that’s what Hyuk believed them to be, and wrapped him up again like a mummy.  
Hyuk didn’t dare look Hongbin in the eyes, as she might see that he cared for him and probably take him away from him. However Hongbin didn’t look at him either. Hyuk told himself that that was for the best. But when he was finally in his room, Hongbin stayed silent. Hyuk let him sleep, he needed it after all. He felt so guilty that he didn’t dare talk to him.  
But when he heard him growl in pain, he couldn’t help himself.  
“Hongbin? Are you okay?” he breathed. For a few moments, he didn’t take an answer.  
“I’m fine,” Hongbin’s voice finally came from the wall.  
“Hongbin I… I wanted to say I’m sorry. It was my fault that you got hurt.” Hyuk’s voice weakened towards the end and he was glad, for once, that he wasn’t face to face with Hongbin.  
“It wasn’t your fault. None of this is your fault,” Hongbin said sharply.  
“But if I haven’t attacked her…”  
“And if she wasn’t a maniac, if we haven’t been abducted, if things were different… Too many ifs, and we can’t afford to lose hope now.”  
“But I can’t help but feel completely responsible for your pain.”  
“I’m sorry that you had to see that.”  
“Please, stop being so nice to me. I don’t deserve it, not after what happened.”  
“For the last time, it wasn’t your fault! If anything, it was mine,” Hongbin said.  
“Yours? How could it be your fault?” Hyuk started getting really annoyed by Hongbin’s martyr attitude.  
“Never mind. You don’t need to worry about that,” Hongbin snapped.  
“I think I have bigger things to worry about, so don’t try to protect me. Just tell me,” Hyuk said.  
“I don’t want to talk about it, okay!” Hongbin sounded angry. But Hyuk was angry too. He was fed up with Hongbin not telling him anything. And it ended up getting hurt rather than being protected.  
“Stop keeping secrets from me! Just tell me all right!”  
“What do you want me to tell you? That all this is all my fault? That you are here because of me?”  
“Now who is being paranoid,” Hyuk laughed. Maybe Hongbin had gotten a form of Stockholm syndrome. “You have been abducted too. How could you even think that…”  
“You don’t remember do you?” Hongbin sounded warn off, his anger gone. “I thought you would remember me when you saw me in that room.”  
Hyuk tried to recall Hongbin’s face. Had he met him before?  
“We were at the same class for the first semester. We were too many back then, so you may not have noticed me, but I had. You were really cute in your apron. I went to that coffee shop you work just to see you. I thought about talking to you, maybe ask you out. But I never did.”  
“I don’t…” Hyuk tried to remember the faces of his fellow students, or his clients at the coffee shop. And he felt guilty that he didn’t recall him. “Still, how could my abduction be your doing?”  
“I told her about you. I was delusional with the drags and I must have told her. And she abducted you because she knew that if she hurt you, I would obey her wishes in order for her to stop.”  
Hyuk was shocked. But he wasn’t mad at Hongbin. How could he? She was the monster, not he.  
“Hongbin, I can’t remember you. But I know that it’s not your fault. Not for me, at least.” Hyuk knew that whatever he told him now won’t change a thing.  
“It’s alright to blame me. It’s normal, actually. I know that you don’t see it that way…”  
“Hongbin?”  
“What is it?” he asked softly.  
“We have to get out of here,” he said, dreading the answer he will receive. Hongbin had been in here for a good amount of time. He would be intimidated, maybe afraid to confront her. But if they had a chance, his knowledge would be important.  
“Yes, we have to get out of here,” Hongbin answered and Hyuk smiled.  
######  
“Hello?” Jimin answered his phone, without even noticing the caller. He was with Hoseok and they were practicing with their team.  
“I’ve got it,” Yoongi announced enthusiastically.  
“What?” Jimin had to move away from the rest of the guys, who were literally screaming.  
“I said, I’ve got it. I wrote you the song,” Yoongi repeated, less enthusiastically and more annoyed this time.  
“How… it’s been only a few hours!”  
“Well, I am the best, you know. And you should be glad that the song is ready, because now you’ll have time to make the necessary changes to your choreography. So, you’re welcome.”  
“Changes? What did you do?”  
“Hey, you want the song or not? I’ve stayed up all night for it!” Now Yoongi sounded angry. Jimin swallowed. He didn’t want to make him angry, especially now that he needed him. And really, he was doing him a favor.  
“No, I’m just surprised that you could write it so fast! We should meet, so I could listen to the song. When will be okay with you?”  
“I have to go to work and then sleep. I’ll call you,” he said and hung up.  
“Who was he?” Hoseok appeared from behind him and Jimin jumped up. He thought that his friend was still with the others.  
“How do you know that it was a he?” Jimin tried to act cool.  
“Come on! You had your flirting voice!” Hoseok said and wrapped an arm around Jimin’s neck.  
“I did not!” Jimin laughed.  
“So, who’s the guy?” Hoseok insisted.  
“It’s not what you think. He’s writing a song for me for my choreography.”  
“Oh, where did you meet him?”  
“You know, Nabom actually had the idea of us working together,” Jimin knew where the whole thing was heading.  
“Nabom? Where did you..? Jimin! You have been keeping things from me!”  
“Not really. It happened yesterday and I didn’t have time to tell you,” Jimin lied.  
“So, let me guess. And the famous song writer is that one night stand of yours, am I right?” Hoseok gave him a mischievous smile.  
“It just happened. It was Nabom’s idea anyway,” Jimin said, getting all red.  
“I’m not judging you, or anything, but I just don’t think that is a good idea to get involved with him,” Hoseok said seriously and Jimin knew that things were seriously as well.  
“He is just giving me a song. And he doesn’t even like me.”  
“I know that he doesn’t like you. But you like him and that’s the problem. I just don’t want to see you get hurt.”  
“I won’t. Don’t worry,” Jimin said and gave him a hug.  
“Okay, that’s enough,” Hoseok laughed and they both walked back where the others were dancing.  
######  
Jonghyun walked into the shop, Changhyun on toe. The police had taken procession of Hyuk’s room, but Jonghyun had Hyuk’s laptop in his room and he just forgot to tell the police about it. And so, here he was, at the computer shop, looking for the guy Ilhoon claimed that could hack into anything.  
“What if he isn’t here?” Changhyun asked again, as he looked around the shop, where there were only computers and equipment but no personnel.  
“Don’t be negative!” Jonghyun said, as he looked over the counter.  
A young girl rushed from the room at the back, chicks pink.  
“May I help you?” she asked, as she took in Jonghyun and Changhyun.  
“We’re looking for Paul,” Jonghyun said, with his matter of fact voice.  
“Paul? He’s at the back.”  
“Can we see him?” Jonghyun sweeten up a little. He could have flirted with her, but he noticed that Changhyun was getting uncomfortable when he did. He glanced over his shoulder. Actually, it wouldn’t have been a bad idea if Changhyun practiced his skills here.  
“Changhyun, why don’t you tell this nice lady about what we are looking for,” he said, after the girl looked at him suspiciously and asked him why he needed Paul.  
“I…”  
“Come on! She’s waiting,” Jonghyun pushed him forward. Changhyun gave him a look of annoyance.  
“We need Paul to look into something. It’s important,” Changhyun said flatly. What was this kid doing? Fortunately, the girl had already decided that she liked him, so she called Paul from the back.  
“How can I help you, gentlemen?” Paul asked. He was a small guy with glasses and greasy hair.  
“My friend is missing, and we need you to see through his internet activity for an abnormality or something,” Jonghyun said, as Changhyun was still giving him sidelong looks.  
“You know that that’s something the police should do, right?” Paul said suspiciously.  
“Well, you see, his friends from college told me about a girl that claimed to be his girlfriend and was looking for his address. But I know for a fact that he didn’t have a girlfriend. Of course the police didn’t think much about it when I told them.”  
“Let me guess. They said that you can’t be sure and that he might have a girlfriend and didn’t tell you about her,” Paul was catching up fast. He even got the laptop from Changhyun’s hands and opened it. “I can look into his whereabouts, but I think that if we look into who was looking for him, it will be more useful for you.”  
“Do whatever you can,” Jonghyun said.  
“I’ll call you when I find something,” Paul said and Jonghyun gave him his number.  
Changhyun was still not talking to him when they got out, after thanking Paul.  
“Are you going to talk to me?” Jonghyun offered. Why had he gotten mad at him? “What is wrong with you?”  
“You want to know what’s wrong? I don’t like you pushing me on to do something I don’t like!”  
“What? With the girl? Come on! I’m giving you life important lessons here!”  
“I don’t like it, okay! You’re always trying to change me,” Changhyun complained. His voice got all cute and baby like when he was angry, Jonghyun noticed.  
“I’m trying to help you,” Jonghyun insisted.  
“No, you’re not helping me that way. Am I not good enough for you?”  
“What are you talking about?” Jonghyun got an odd feeling. Was he talking about that kiss again?  
“You seem to have taken as your crusade to turn me into someone else. But I never asked you to do that! I like myself as I am, so don’t try to make me a version of you!” Changhyun yelled and walked away. What was he talking about? Jonghyun only wanted to help him. He was doing the boy a favor.  
######  
Jimin closed his eyes. Yoongi staring at him constantly was distracting him. He was listening to the song through headphones that Yoongi had provided that connected to the rapper’s cell phone. Yoongi had called him that morning and asked him to meet him immediately. They agreed for the meeting point at the coffee shop and this time, Jimin had arrived earlier than Yoongi, who arrived, his hair now red. Jimin didn’t comment on that.  
However, when he heard the song, he knew that he had found what he was looking for. It was perfect, exactly what he needed for his piece to be spectacular.  
“So?” Yoongi asked when the song was over.  
“It’s perfect! I love it!” Jimin said enthusiastically.  
“Well, I did what I had to,” Yoongi smiled, leaning back on his chair.  
“I think that now we have serious chances of winning!”  
“I hope so,” Yoongi commented, handing him a CD.  
Jimin took it, noticing the messy handwriting on its label. But it didn’t matter. The song was perfect and so well made that Jimin actually loved the way Yoongi had given his everything to the music and the material didn’t matter to him.  
“Thank you so much! I really appreciate it,” Jimin said.  
“Wait till we win. Anyway, I’m not doing this for free,” Yoongi smiled. And Jimin thought that he looked so cute when he did, but he should never mention that to him.  
“Seriously. You are so talented and I can’t believe you aren’t snatched by a record team yet.” To this, Yoongi smiled wider and he got slightly red. The man knew he had talent and yet he wanted people to acknowledge him.  
“Just don’t ruin it,” he simply said.  
“I’ll try not to,” Jimin replied and then the conversation went on a different direction.  
After their second coffee, they decided to go for a walk. Jimin took him to his favorite place, at the small park near his dorm, where he liked to go when he was feeling low. The park was almost isolated, with the vegetation growing wildly that created almost a jungle. There, Jimin had found the perfect spot that was hidden by the public eye, though it could view the Han River. Jimin loved to go there and lie on the ground, staring at the sky, or dance to imaginary beat.  
As it was night time, they lied back and watched the stars.  
“Are you okay?” Jimin asked Yoongi after a while. A few days ago, he wouldn’t have dreamt that he would be star gazing with the guy who bullied him at the underground club.  
“I’m fine. Why?” Yoongi replied.  
“It’s a bit chilly. Summer is not here yet.”  
“So? Are you going to take off your jacket and offer it to me?” Yoongi smirked.  
“No, but it’s late.”  
“You’re in a hurry? Do you have a date or something?”  
“No, I don’t have a date. Do you?” Jimin asked, but in reality he didn’t want to know. Because right then, right there, he was alone with him, the boy he could never have. And he didn’t want reality to bust his little bubble.  
“I have to go to the club,” Yoongi said and Jimin could breath normally again.  
“Okay then.” Jimin feared that the rapper would get up and leave, but Yoongi didn’t move. He just stayed there with him. And Jimin was glad to steal some borrowed moments with him.  
######  
Jonghyun checked his cell phone again. And felt guilty immediately for doing so. Hyuk, his best friend was missing and he was worried because Changhyun didn’t return his calls. At first, he thought that he was busy. Then that he had missed his rings. And then that he was still mad at him, for no reason obviously, and he decided to give him some space and time. And so he avoided going to the coffee shop.  
But this was getting really annoying. They should act like adults after all. They were a team and they had to work together and find Hyuk. Personal hatred aside. So Jonghyun couldn’t understand why Changhyun acted so childish about it. After all, he only wanted to help him as well. Was he planning to avoid him forever?  
Jonghyun almost missed his stop. He was going to see Paul without Changhyun. He couldn’t wait for him to stop mopping when Hyuk was in danger. He was so angry with him that he almost sent him a massage to tell him so. But he had arrived at the computer shop already.  
Paul was sitting at the back of the room, in front of a computer with two screens that he used simultaneously. Jonghyun cleared his throat, but Paul didn’t even hear him.  
“Paul?” he finally asked impenitently. Paul jumped up in surprise and he almost fell off his chair.  
“Oh, hello. Have you been here long?” Paul asked, getting all red.  
“No, I’ve just arrived. Have you had any success with the computer?”  
“Your computer?” Paul stared into space and Jonghyun started getting disappointed. If Paul couldn’t find anything, it would be even harder to find a new lead to the case.  
“Wait!” Paul fished Hyuk’s laptop from under his table and opened it. The screen came to life and Hyuk’s facebook page appeared, with Hyuk’s picture staring back at them. He looked so happy and carefree; almost like a kid. How could anyone harm him?  
“I was looking into his history, like you said, but nothing unusual popped up. And his social media pages were viewed by many people and I had to narrow them down. But finally I think I’ve found her.” Paul showed him a profile that was mostly blank, part from the few pictures of kittens and some encouraging comments.  
“What am I looking at?” Jonghyun asked curious.  
“Well, she doesn’t have a real profile, but she creates one every month or so. They are all fake of course. She sent a friends request to him, after she looked him up a few times. She searched his college, even the coffee shop he was working at.”  
“How do you know all that? I have only given you Hyuk’s laptop!”  
“After looking into Hyuk’s internet friends, I stubble on her profile and I did a background research as I did for everyone.”  
“Still, I don’t understand,” Jonghyun said, taking a seat next to Paul.  
“Everyone leaves a print on the internet. Even when you erase it, your online footsteps remain. And they are easy to access from those who, let’s say, know how to access them,” Paul explained.  
“And? Do we have information on her or something?”  
“I don’t have a photo or an address, if that’s what you mean. But maybe I can narrow down the places she might hang out.”  
“Can you really do that?”  
“Well, yes,” Paul laughed and Jonghyun thought that it was probably the first time he saw the guy being happy.  
Jonghyun thanked Paul again and again and made him promise that he would call him as soon as he had any news. He was so excited when he left the shop, as if he had find Hyuk already. But he had a hunch that he was close now.  
Without even thinking about it, Jonghyun found himself in front of Changhyun’s coffee shop. He stopped at the window and stared inside. People were having there afternoon coffee, mostly students from the college. Changhyun was dancing around them, balancing drinks and beverages on his tray. His hair had started to get a wash out blue shade, though he still looked good with it.  
Jonghyun hadn’t realized how long he stood there till Changhyun finished wiping an empty table and looked up. As soon as their eyes met, Jonghyun felt a cold feeling spreading through him and it wasn’t because of the rain that was pouring on him. Will Changhyun ignore him? Will he come out and tell him in person not to bother him again? Truth was that he couldn’t really read the coffee boy’s face.  
Then Changhyun put his cleaning cloth down and walked out of the door. Jonghyun pulled the collar of his jacket up, as if he could protect himself from the rain now that he had already been shocked wet. It was a bad choice not to bring an umbrella with him, even though he had seen the grey clouds gathering even before he left the dorm.  
“You realize that it’s raining, right?” Changhyun said, though he hadn’t got an umbrella either.  
“I… I wanted to tell you what Paul had found. I thought you might want to know as it’s important for Hyuk.”  
“Okay,” Changhyun said, letting his guards down a little. He had a defensive attitude since he came out of the shop. “But can you tell me inside? Cause I’m getting cold out here.”  
“Sure,” Jonghyun said and followed the blue haired boy inside. They set at the corner table, and Changhyun took off his apron and asked him if he wanted anything. Jonghyun declined his offer and tried to ignore the fact that Changhyun kept his eyes everywhere but on Jonghyun, as he told him everything Paul and discovered.  
“That’s great news,” Changhyun said enthusiastically.  
“Yes, we might have a chance to finally find him.”  
They fell silent, Changhyun still not meeting his eyes. Jonghyun was toying with the idea of talking to him about his behavior, but he had finally managed to get him to talk to him again. And he didn’t want to spoil that. For all his charm and ability to be easy going and talkative, Jonghyun couldn’t enchant Changhyun as he could do with the others. And that was annoying, but at the same time refreshing. And so Jonghyun decided to lie a little, just to make sure that he could see Changhyun again. He needed him anyway. Ilhoon found his enthusiasm weird and he had exams. Jonghyun didn’t want to distract him.  
“Listen, Changhyun, I wanted to tell you something else as well,” his breathe caught at the end, as the coffee boy turned and looked at him. He saw dread in his eyes. The boy didn’t want to know what he wanted to say to him. But Jonghyun had to make things right, even though he didn’t mean what he was going to say. “I was wrong to treat you like I did. I thought about it and you were right. I’m sorry.”  
Changhyun looked at him with surprise. “You really mean it?”  
“Of course. Did you think that I’m the kind of guy that doesn’t admit when he is wrong?” Lair, lair, lair!  
“Well…”  
“Well, I’m not! And so, I promise to stop trying to change you and respect your, um… uniqueness.”  
For a few seconds Changhyun seemed not to believe him, but then he smiled, that naïve, goofy smile and Jonghyun knew that he had got him. At least for now.  
######  
“I really don’t know that…”  
“Do you want us to win or not?” Yoongi yelled at him and Jimin stared back at the mirror of the hair dresser shop Yoongi had dragged him into. Yoongi had thought about it and had come to the conclusion that Jimin needed to change his style. And so, he had called him early in the morning and made him go to his hairdresser, where they both sited him down on the chair and put some smelly stuff on his hair. And now, here he was, with orange hair.  
To be honest, it wasn’t that bad. It was just too different of what he was used to.  
“And this hair will make us win?” Jimin asked, tracing a hand through his hair. No, not that bad.  
“Of course. You are going to stand out and they will notice you,” Yoongi said, looking through the color samples.  
“I want them to notice me for my performance. Plus, I don’t think I will stand out for the right reasons.”  
“Can you trust me or not?” Yoongi yelled impatiently and Jimin was surprise of the amount of time it had actually taken him to get mad at him again. Jimin had noted that the past few days, Yoongi didn’t lush on him as often as he did at their first meetings and Jimin was certain now that the rapper had started to like him. Though he didn’t want to get his hopes up  
They walked down the road, that was quite with a few small restaurants just opening up for luch time. Jimin had to meet Hoseok later for ramen and he dreaded his friend’s reaction to his new hairstyle. Maybe he should bring Yoongi with him to scare him off… but then, he really didn’t want Hoseok to see him with Yoongi. He had been warned multiple times by his friend not to get attached to the rapper and to stop hanging out with him. It was clear that Hoseok was afraid that Jimin would get hurt but he couldn’t help it. He just couldn’t vanish; they were working together now. Or at least that’s what Jimin kept telling himself.  
“How did you find that hairdresser?” Jimin asked, hoping that the conversation will destruct him from his orange hair.  
“It’s close to my home,” Yoongi replied.  
“You live nearby?”  
“Yes. Actually, that’s it,” Yoongi pointed at a big, three storey house that looked massive compared to the ones next to it.  
“You live there?” Jimin was surprised. Yoongi told him about his money problems, and how difficult it was to get by, as he didn’t always manage to sell his music.  
“Yes. Like I said, Na Bom rents me a room for a reasonable price.”  
Jimin thought about his place, his tiny apartment that was messy all the time. Yoongi had been there, but did he remember it at all. They were drunk after all and he himself didn’t recall everything that had happen that night. But he wasn’t going to ask him about it. Yoongi still thought that Jimin had settled for them being friends. Bringing up that one night stand would only make things worse.  
Yoongi walked by the house without stopping, and Jimin followed. As he walked passed it, Jimin looked up at its windows and he wondered which one was Yoongi’s and if he would ever get a chance to find out.  
######  
Hong Bin was wearing a dark blue suit that suited him perfectly. Especially under the candle light, as his thick black hair was slicked back and shined. Hyuk’s heart was beating faster and faster by looking at him. Though things would have been better if they weren’t being held and forced to sit at the table, all dressed up, pretending to be a happy family to satisfy her sadistic fantasies.  
Hyuk himself was wearing a nice white suit, white and glossy that felt weird on his skin. But technically everything felt weird on him these days.  
“Isn’t it nice?” she smiled, her face turning into a shark mask. “See how better things are when you behave?”  
Hyuk kept his eyes away from her and his face blank. Hongbin did the same, though Hyuk was too afraid to even glance at him. He didn’t want to make it obvious that he cared for Hongbin, though Hongbin had told him that it didn’t matter anyway, as she already knew Hongbin’s feelings for Hyuk.  
“You know, I really don’t want to hurt you. It’s not as fun as it seems. But, sometimes you give me no choice.”  
She poured them some whine, which looked more like blood and Hyuk knew for sure that it contained more than just the sweet liquor in it.  
“You’re awfully quite,” she mused, as she got her cup and drank, rivers of the red liquid flowing down her chin. “Why? Aren’t you guys having fun?” Hyuk imagined that she made a perfect vampire with the blood staining her ugly white face.  
“I said, AREN’T YOU GUYS HAVING FUN?!” she screamed, smashing everything in front of her on the floor. Hyuk felt the wine and the food hit his face, as well as pieces of glass of the broken cups and dishes. Hongbin left out a cry and Hyuk’s eyes fled on him immediately. Hongbin had a nasty scratch on his face that was oozing blood. Hongbin had a controlled facial expression, though Hyuk could make out the trace of pain in his empty eyes. At that point, Hyuk didn’t know why, he thought that he might be able to remember him. Maybe he was there, buried in his memory, and one day, he would wake up and he would be able to say that he had met Hongbin before this.  
“Oh my! Your pretty face,” she said softly, as she pushed her chair and walked slowly towards Hongbin, who remained still. She grabbed his face with her long fingernails and forced him to look at him. Then she traced her fingers over his wound, making him groan in pain, which caused her amusement. “Don’t worry, my love. It won’t leave a scar,” she gave him a last, evil smile and went over to her seat again. Hyuk drove his gaze away from her, to the wall, to the chandelier over their heads, to Hongbin, who gave him the slight nod that made Hyuk’s heart skip a beat. Their plan was finally beginning.  
######  
“Pauuuul, you said you can do it,” Jonghyun whined, as he crushed on the chair next to Paul’s desk. Changhyun was looking over Paul’s shoulder, trying to make out what the computer guy was working on.  
“I said I’ll try. But she is good. She covers her tracks and she hadn’t been active for a month now.”  
“That’s how long Hyuk has been missing,” Jonghyun commented.  
“And the police has no lead for his case,” Changhyun murmured.  
“And that’s why, Paul, you are our only chance,” Jonghyun grabbed Paul by the shoulder. “I’ll buy you pizza, if you manage this.”  
“Oh, swell. Now I’m motivated for a life time,” Paul said sarcastically, but Jonghyun is certain that he would work on it harder. Every second that passed, Hyuk’s chances of survival were getting thinner and thinner.  
“It’s that time is running out,” Changhyun said sweetly and Jonghyun could almost swear that he was almost acting it.  
“I’ll do my best,” Paul said finally and went back to his computer, which meant that the conversation was over and that they had to go.  
The night was quite chilly as they both walked out of the computer shop and Changhyun kept rubbing his hand together as they walked.  
“I should have brought my gloves with me,” he complained. Jonghyun thought that he almost looked like a cat, as he whined about things. Changhyun was cute by nature and not only in looks.  
“Here,” Jonghyun halted and got his own gloves off. Changhyun watched him curiously for a second and then started to resist as he realized what were Jonghyun’s intentions. But Jonghyun grabbed him by the arms and pulled him closer to him. As the force drove their bodies closer than ever, Jonghyun could feel the warm of Changhuyn’s body and the sent of his citrus after save, as he forced his eyes to move down from Changyun’s red cheeks and full lips to his naked hands.  
“You didn’t need to do that,” Changhyun pulled away as soon as the gloves were on. He seemed out of breathe, like he was holding it for all the while Jonghyun was dressing him.  
“I couldn’t let you get a cold. Besides, my jacket has pockets and yours doesn’t.”  
“Thank you,” Changhyun murmured and Jonghyun smiled. But his smile froze on his face when he heard Jimin calling his from down the road. And he was even more shocked when he saw Jimin’s hair.  
“What happened to you?” Jonghyun asked, as soon as Jimin approached.  
“What do you mean?” Jimin got all red and smiled awkwardly.  
“The hair,” Jonghyun almost laughed, as he made a clear demonstration of his point with his hands.  
“That’s style, you ignorant playboy,” the guy who seemed to always be by Jimin’s side lately barked at him.  
“So, you’re the mastermind behind this horrible crime,” Jonghyun said and Changhyun giggled, which made Jimin even more red, which made his boyfriend even more mad.  
“I’m not even going to listen to those remarks. Come back again, when you gain some sense of fashion,” the guy said looking at him from head to toe.  
“You don’t even know what fashion sense is, even if it hit you on the face,” Jonghyun snapped.  
“Oh you rotten bastard,” the guy started, but Jimin interrupted them.  
“We’re going to this club. You should come,” he said and looked hopefully at Changhyun who quickly accepted his offer. Jonghyun turned back to him in sock. “What are you doing?” he hissed at him and Changhyun got all red, but stayed quiet.  
“Okay, then, follow us,” Jimin said and Jonghyun could swear that his boyfriend was giving him murderous looks. Good. Jonghyun wanted to annoy the guy. He really didn’t like him. He was just too snobbish for him. And Jimin could do better, though, come to think about it, Jimin is Jimin. Jonghyun was giving him a cold shoulder ever since they met, and yet Jimin thought that they were good friends.  
“Do you even like hip hop?” the guy was complaining as they boarded the tube.  
“As a matter of fact, I do. And I started a class for RnB dance this semester,” Jonghyun replied. What did he think? That he’s the king of the hip hop world or something?  
“And that makes you think that you’re into hip hop?” the guy continued, but Jimin cut in.  
“Guys, we’re here,” Jimin stopped infront of a building that didn’t really look much. In fact, Jonghyun would have passed by it and never even wonder to get in. But the two guys disappear through the old garage door and Changhyun followed before he would be able to stop him.  
“Damn it!” Jonghyun cursed and earned the long stare from the guy at the front door, as he himself entered the building. He was still skeptical about the whole thing, but he didn’t want to leave Changhyun alone with that weird guy. Who knows what he will make Changhyun do and Jimin would not even protect him. Jonghyun realized that the coffee boy was inspiring protective instincts in him and he couldn’t help it. If this was another situation, Jonghyun would have left Changhyun long before he started carrying for him. But now he couldn’t, as the boy was helping him with Hyuk and all. So he just climbed down the stairs of the underground club, letting the heavy hip hop music hit him like a wave of energy.  
The club was dark, and the lights kind of made it even harder to concentrate, as they spin and blinked, but Jimin’s hair wasn’t hard to miss. Jonghyun made his way towards them, as they were talking about that guy’s music. Or rather, that guy was bragging about it, and Jimin was cheerleading.  
“May I ask whose idea was it to get Jimin’s head turned into an orange?” Jonghyun cut in, trying to get the conversation back to where it had started. He was still pissed off with the guy and he didn’t want to let him off that easily. Plus, he hated the way Changhyun seemed so impressed by him. So what? The boy was so naïve he actually believed that that guy was probably the world greatest musician or something. The guy was nothing more than big world and short legs.  
“You’re still here?” the guy said, making a face like he had a sniff of the garbage bin.  
“Of course I’m here. Did you actually believe that I’ll let my friend to hang out with a guy whose poor judgment can be reflected on the poor choices of hair color. And while we’re at it, why didn’t you try it on and had Jimin do it? Were you afraid it won’t go well with your complexion?”  
Jonghyun felt really good about himself, as he watched the guy getting ready to kill him. Yes, he was good with words and he wasn’t going to let that show off go on with his act any more.  
“You piece of shit!”  
“I actually think that black would have been better on Yoongi, no offence,” Jimin cut in and smiled like an idiot again.  
“Yes, I think you’re right,” Changhyun agreed. What was this guy doing? Jonghyun was trying hard to get them out of there and he was just being silly enough not to play along. Wasn’t he getting it?  
“I can try it black then,” Yoongi said, a little calmer, and Jonghyun rolled his eyes. He was starting to make peace with the fact that he wasn’t going to succeed leaving that place as soon as possible.  
“Okay, ladies, I’m going to get a drink while you are discussing hair and make up,” Jongnhyun announced, giving Yoongi a small victory stare. But as he turned, he bumped onto a girl who was behind him. Jonghyun immediately got on his cute face, as the girl lifted her eyes, her cheeks all red under the deem light.  
“Hey there,” Jonghyun said. “Are you okay? I am so sorry…”  
“Nabom!” Jimin said from behind him and grabbed the girl’s arm, spinning her around Jonghyun and into their small circle.  
“Don’t mind Jonghyun. He’s my friend from school,” Jimin said happily, but the girl seemed to Jonghynun a little ill. Her face had turned pale and she was staring at him in sock. Why was she acting like that?  
“Have we met before?” Jonghyun asked.  
“Where would have you two met?” Yoongi cut in. “You’re too snob to hang out in the same circles as us.” Yoongi was going to say more, but Jimin gave him a small nudge and he stopped. Oh, how Jonghyyun hated that couple dynamics!  
“You never know,” Changhyun piped from his corner, but the girl started nodding negative rapidly.  
“I have never seen him in my life!” she said and Yoongi smiled satisfied. Damn it! Jonghyun didn’t want to give Yoongi a chance to mock him, but he didn’t seem to succeed.  
“Whatever, I’ll just go for my drink,” Jonghyun snapped and left. He had his own problems, he didn’t need this.  
He had reached the bar, when he felt someone grabbing him from the back. He turned and faced Changhyun.  
“What?” Jonghyun snapped and regretted it immediately. Changhyun hadn’t done anything wrong, part from the fact that he had followed idiot Jimin and his cocky boyfriend in here.  
“What was that for? Why are you acting like this?”  
“Like what?” Jonghyun ignored him and turned his attention towards the bartender.  
“Like an ass! I know you’re upset about Hyuk, but can’t you be a little more considerate?”  
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I was acting accordingly. It’s not my fault your new friend was rude to me.”  
“And you had to be rude as well? Couldn’t you be the better man?”  
“Look, I don’t know what fantasy you have built for me, but I’m afraid that you are going to get very disappointed.”  
“What are you talking about? I am just saying that you could have been more friendly towards Jimin and Yoongi. Jimin seems to really like you and you’re being constantly mean to him.”  
“That’s who I am. I am not prince charming, alright. I’m a cocky asshole who manipulates everyone to get his way,” Jonghyun said and he could feel Changhyun getting away little by little. But he had to do this. He didn’t want it to happen that soon, sure, but he knew that Changhyun idolized him. He could see it in the way he was admiring him. The boy probably thought that Jonghyun was gentle and sweet, when in reality he was not. He was arrogant and a playboy. Someone who wasn’t worth carrying for. That’s what his father had told him and that’s what Jonghyun had become, a guy who none could rely on because he was a self-centered charmer. The only person who actually saw good in him was Hyuk and probably Ilhoon. But now Hyuk was gone, and he had driven Ilhoon away. So things had to go the only natural way: Jonghyun should end up alone. Changhyun was just slowing down the process.  
“You’re not…” the boy started saying and Jonghyun held back the tears that annoyingly had started forming in his eyes. Why was it that hard to drive Changhyun away?  
“Listen, what you saw tonight, what you have been seeing me doing, that’s the real me. I was just pretending to be good to you because I needed you.”  
Changhyun’s eyes got watery but he didn’t say anything. He just stared at him, but remained silent. Jonghyun wanted to bring him close, to confort him, but he couldn’t. This was for his own good. Jonghyun should draw the line here and keep him as simply his partner in the investigation.  
“And now you don’t need me anymore?” Changhyun said after an unbearable moment of silence.  
“I still need you, but you had started getting to annoying for me to handle. Anyway, it is better that you know what’s you’re dealing with and if you still want to help me find Hyuk, for his sake, you can call me. Goodnight.” Jonhyun tried hard to not let himself run up the stairs. He had to appear strong. He had to saw Changhyun that he was an ice prince who cared for none. Because that’s what someone like him should do for the person he loved.

######  
“What’s his problem?” Yoongi asked, as he watched Jonghyun climbing up the stairs and leaving the club.  
“He has been upset lately. His friend has been missing, so don’t be too harsh on him,” Jimin explained. He actually felt really bad about Jonghyun. He couldn’t imagine how he would have reacted if Hoseok went missing.  
“He’s a prick by nature, so don’t think otherwise,” Yoongi snorted.  
“Is he looking for him?” Nabom asked.  
“Why do you care?” Yoongi gave her a curious look and Nabom got all red.  
“I don’t know, really,” Jimin answered, ignoring the rude comments from Yoongi. He had been quite his horrible self to Jonghyun and he had scared Changhyun off as well. Yoongi snorted and looked over his shoulder to a girl who was staring at him like she wanted to eat him up. Jimin was waiting for Yoongi’s fury to be unleashed on the poor girl. Yoongi got really annoyed with girls who were hitting on him. But Jimin watched in sock as Yoongi smiled sweetly at the girl. Jimin knew that one day it will happen. Yoongi had never promised him anything and although he seemed to be warming up towards him, Jimin was the one who was hoping against hope that all the sneers and the rude comments were actually something more than just that. But he was wrong and he knew it. Deep down he knew that one day Yoongi will find someone. Jimin had convinced himself that when that day came, he wouldn’t mind. That he knew what he was doing, and that he was just enjoying what crumbles of affection Yoongi gave him. But he was wrong. Now that he watched Yoongi flirting with the girl, Jimin felt awful, like he was dying slowly and stedily, and not being able to take his eyes off the scene.  
“…and you two probably are friends, right?” Nabom was asking. She has been talking about Jonghyun all the while, but Jimin couldn’t concentrate.  
“Um…yeah, anyway, do you want to dance with me?” Jimin asked and grabbed a confused Nabom by her hand, dragging her on the dance floor, were he pulled her close to him, settling his arms around her waist.  
“Hope that Hoseok won’t mind me dancing with you, right?” Jimin joked, as he watched Nabom getting more and more red by the second.  
“Why will he mind?” Nabom tweeted.  
“I don’t know. Aren’t you and him, well, you know, an item?”  
“No! No! No! We aren’t!” Nabom snapped and Jimin almost paused.  
“Okay, okay, don’t get so upset.”  
“Has he told you that we are dating or something?”  
“No, but you know, I assumed that you two were…forget it.”  
“Why would you think that! I mean, he’s not even my type,” Nabom seemed to had gotten a little angry, and Jimin didn’t know why. Hoseok was quite handsome and he was funny and kind hearted. He knew that his friend could be really sweet and carrying towards his girlfriend and so he couldn’t understand why Nabom would get offended.  
“Okay, um, sorry I guess,” Jimin apologized, though that didn’t seem to calm Nabom down. She kept staring at him angrily and then she just took off without a warning. Jimin stood in the middle of the dance floor, confused. He couldn’t comprehend what had just happened and he didn’t know whether to follow Nabom and demand an explanation, or go find Yoongi. Neither sounded pleasant to him at the moment and so he decided to find Yoongi and at least say goodnight before heading out. He could call Hoseok and go for a night run with him.  
Jimin found Yoongi not with the girl, but with the boy the girl was with. The boy was quite handsome, wearing a top that revealed his muscled arms. Jimin almost stopped and walked away, as he noticed how aggressively the boy was courting Yoongi, who seemed to actually enjoying it.  
“Yoongi, I’m leaving. See you tomorrow,” Jimin finally got Yoongi’s attention and the boy’s annoyed stare. For a moment, Jimin felt really uncomfortable and irritated as well, as he turned away towards the door. He was feeling really really bad, as he marched between the moving bodies to the stairs and out in the cold air, before he was stopped by the firm hold of Yoongi’s hand.  
“Where you’re going?” the pale boy demanded angrily.  
“Home, I’m tired,” Jimin said, trying to escape Yoongi’s hand, but, surprisingly the rapper didn’t let go.  
“Why you’re acting up? What’s your problem?”  
“I’m not acting up! I just want to get home,” Jimin tried to be calm and keep it together.  
“Stop acting like a child! You didn’t have to hit on Nabom to get to me!”  
“Me! Hitting on Nabom! I just…”  
“Forget it!” Yoongi barged and marched off, back to that boy in the darkness of the club. But Jimin couldn’t let him go. Not tonight, not now.  
Jimin got Yoongi’s hand and span him back to him with enough force that made him crash on Jimin’s body. The surprise was obvious on Yoongi’s eyes, but he didn’t resist, as Jimin wrapped his arms around the smaller boy’s shoulders and leaned in enough till his forehead met Yoongi’s. Jimin felt Yoongi’s breath on his lips, before crushing them on the rapper’s. Jimin’s heart was about to burst. He was actually doing it. He was actually, finally, doing what he was dreaming of doing all this time, the times when he caught himself staring at his full lips when they were having a break during the rehearsals. But the most surprising thing, the one that made his heart beat even faster, was that Yoongi was actually kissing him back.  
######  
Hyuk covered his head with his hands, but he still got hit on the cheeks and started bleeding, as she smashed the vase on the wall just a few inches above him. She had already destroyed a small coffee table and all the statues in the room. She had come into Hyuk’s room and had dragged him out and into the dining room, where she started screaming and throwing things around. Hyuk was more scared of her than he had ever been. But at least Hongbin wasn’t there, he thought.  
“That bastard!” she shouted, as she ripped the tablecloth into pieces. Hyuk thought that she almost looked like a crazy dog, with her red eyes, her pale skin and her hair a mess on her head. She could easily had saliva drooling down her jaw, but he couldn’t be sure, as she didn’t stay still for even a second.  
And then she stopped. Hyuk watched her stand in the middle of the room, a dark princess of chaos and malice. She was breathing so loudly that Hyuk could hear her from the corner he had taken refuge, her whole body pacing up and down. And when she lifted her head, her gaze was pinned on Hyuk, who watched her in terror as she stormed towards him, crushing him on the wall. She grabbed him by the hair and he screamed in pain, as she pasted her face just a breath away of his. She stank off alcohol and blood was dripping off her forehead. But she didn’t seem to be in pain. On the contrary, she was smiling, her crazy eyes shining with amusement.  
“You all are the same, aren’t you? Playing games and smiling charmingly to get what you want!” she burked and then leaned even closer to whisper in his ear, “you’re the same, aren’t you?” Her breath was wetting his ear, and Hyuk felt sick as he felt the weight of her body on his. “But you’re mine now,” she laughed and Hyuk couldn’t stand it anymore, as she draw her tongue down his neck. He screamed, pushing her away with enough force that shot away and she hit the leg of the table and stopped moving. Hyuk felt numbed, as he watched her lying there motionless. He couldn’t comprehend what had just happened. Had he killed her? Was this his chance to get out?  
Hyuk got up, trying to support his weigh on the wall, but his feet didn’t want to collaborate. However, he managed to start walking, one step at the time, one foot in front of the other, till he had reached the door. Was it locked? He tried the handle and the door opened. Hyuk wasn’t really expecting that he would be lucky enough to find the door unlocked, and he had grabbed the handle putting all his body weight on the door, and so now he found himself on the floor of the hallway. The shock was enough to wake him up and he started running down the hallway. Where was he going? To the door? To Hongbin? Hongbin! He had to save him. He couldn’t leave him behind with her. Who knows what she would do to him to get back to Hyuk till the police was notified.  
The hallway was dark, with just a few dying lights here and there. Hyuk tried all the door he found, knocking franticly on them, calling Hongbin to answer him. But all the doors were locked and no one answered his calls. Should he have checked her for keys before leaving?  
Hyuk couldn’t tell how many hours he had spend in that dark maze, running around like a beheaded chicken, but he started feeling exhausted and he finally collapsed in front of a door. He breathed heavily, feeling the tears running down his face, making his wounds hurt even more. This was his chance to get free of her but that sweet freedom was getting far of his reach little by little. Was this the best he could do?  
Hyuk started sobbing. He was worthless, not even able to save himself, not to mention Hongbin. If only he could find Hongbin’s room… Hyuk fell on the floor, unable to stop crying, as the weight of his lost chance bound him to numbness. A sharp light was hurting his eyes, and Hyuk blink, thinking that she had found him again. But the light was coming from under the door. Sunlight! Hyuk almost had forgotten how the warmth of the sun on the skin felt like. But that wasn’t lamp light and it was strong enough to sneak in this cursed place.  
Hyuk got up, drying his eyes. The door was made of iron and it was locked as well. Hyuk looked around him and he found a pipe on the wall, brown form the rust and time, that was popping off the rest of the network, like it was hanging by a string. Hyuk went closer and he could make out it leaking water down on the floor. He grabbed it and felt immediately a sharp pain. The pipe was hot and Hyuk had to take his shirt of and wrapped it around it in order to take hold of it. Once he made sure that he was protected of the high temperatures of the metal, he grabbed it firmly and started pulling it till it finally gave off and he had finally a half meter pipe to use to open the door.  
Hyuk felt a wave of energy overtaking him, as things were starting to finally to look up. He stuck the pipe between the door and the wall and pushed forward. But the door didn’t give away. Hyuk felt exhausted again. Why wasn’t this working? It always worked in the movies. Hyuk pushed harder and harder till the pipe broke into two pieces and he fell on the ground again. Hyuk took a deep breath. He didn’t know what else to do.  
“Help! Anyone! Help!” he screamed at the top of his lungs, smashing his feast on the door, that shook like a drum.  
“Help!” Hyuk cried, pressing his forehead on the cold surface of the door. “Please anyone…” he whispered, falling on his knees. He stood there in front of the door, just staring at it. Something was written on the wall next to it. Hyuk came closer, so he could read it. The letters were very small, and they were barely readable, as the hand that had written them was shaking.  
“To my one and only,” Hyuk read. “I wish I had more time with you and made you laugh. I wish I could have earned that beautiful smile of yours more often. I was I had shown you the love you made me feel. My love, my life, my heart. I wish I could steal a last glance of you again, just for once, as you are there studying in the library, chewing your lip with concentration. I will love you till my last breathe.”  
“My birdie,” she sang behind him and Hyuk’s heart stopped. He turned slowly around and with terror he saw her over Hongbin, who was on his knees. His hands were tight behind his back and he had his head pulled back by the long cloth that was covering his eyes, as she ran a knife over his white skin.  
“You’re trapped, aren’t you sweetie?” she smiled an evil smile and pushed the blade into Hongbin’s skin, making him bleed.  
“No! Stop it! Please!” Hyuk cried and she laughed like a mad woman.  
“Did you really think that you will escape?” she said, cutting deeper into Hongbin’s arm.  
“Please!” Hyuk crawled slowly towards Hongbin. “Please!” he whispered again.  
“You brought this to him. You hurt Hongbin. He is suffering because of you!” she yelled and pulled Hongbin back, dragging him into the room close by.  
“No!” Hyuk screamed and followed them in. The room was small, thick chains hanging from the ceiling. Hyuk walked slowly in. Hongbin was on the floor, trying to get up. But where was she? Hyuk turned around and he felt a harsh pain on the head, before blacking out. When he woke up, his head was made of lead. He couldn’t lift it, but he could hear the growls of Hongbin. He rolled to the other side, which took more effort than he was expecting it to need.  
At first his eyes were hazy but he soon make out the form of Hongbin, hanging from the ceiling by the chains that where wrapped up around his arms. She was standing next to him, holding a pipe similar to the one he had taken off the wall. She ran her fingers down the pipe and smiled at Hyuk, as she took a grip of the metal and swing it on Hongbin’s legs. Hongbin screamed in pain and Hyuk screamed with him. But she kept hitting him, breaking his legs till he wasn’t able to stand on his own. Hyuk got up and ran towards him, grabbing Hongbin’s legs and pulling him up, so he wouldn’t break his arms too by the weight of his body.  
“Please, stop!” Hyuk sobbed. “Please!” She laughed again and got down on her knees, so she was face to face with him.  
“You were a bad boy, and so you have to pay for what you did. You wanted freedom, so now hold him up if you don’t want him to die.” She leaned closer and gave him a kiss on the cheek, shucking his skin between her lips. But Hyuk didn’t move. He had to endure it. He had to endure it all. For Hongbin. For his love, his life, his heart.  
######  
Jonghyun drummed his long fingers on the table, running those of the other hand through his hair. Changhyun had sent him a sms asking him if Paul had found something. The computer guy had sent called him earlier, asking him for a meeting, as he thought he had found something. Jonghyun was dying with anticipation, but Changhyun’s massage had confused him on what to do. It was only the previous night that he had put on that show in the club and the coffee boy was still willing to communicate with him the very next morning. Hadn’t he gotten the massage? Should Jonghyun ignore his helpful hand?  
“Meet me at Paul’s in an hour,” he finally typed and got into the shower. He should be cold and arrogant towards him, in order to keep up with the façade he had pulled off last night. He knew that that would be hard but he had to do it, for Changhyun’s shake.  
Jonghyun found Changhyun waiting for him at the front of the shop, when he finally arrived. The boy looked good with his cream shirt and his jeans. Jonghyun himself had chosen to wear sport wear, in order to pretend that he doesn’t care.  
“What did Paul say?” Changhyun asked, as soon as Jonghyun reached the door.  
“He will explain everything face to face,” Jonghyun commented, not meeting the boy’s eyes. Paul was waiting for him at the back of the shop as always. The guy was sipping a box of juice in front of his computer screen, typing things in lightning speed.  
“Paul, you called?” Jonghyun set himself on the chair next to him and Chanhyun went and stood next to Paul, looking into the screen.  
“Yes, yes, wait a sec,” the guy started closing windows and organizing the papers all over his desk. Changhyun started helping him. His hair was pulled back today, as they had grown too long to let them fall over his forehead. That look made him look more manly than cute, as he always did since Jonghyun had met him. Changhyun put the papers into a folder and looked over at Jonghyun, his face forming a surprised look and Jonghyun cleared his throat and looked away, realizing that he had been staring at him. He mustn’t give him encouraging signs like that and confuse him.  
“Right, well, I have been looking into that account, but that led nowhere” Paul said finally, opening the window with the fake profile on the screen.  
“But you said that the user used several accounts before,” Changhyun commented.  
“Well, yes, but they erased them often. The only account that the user kept for more than a month was this one two years ago, when she was talking to this guy,” Paul pointed at the profile of a guy, who was smiling at his profile picture charmingly. He had dark skin and creamy chocolate hair that fell messy on his forehead. “She has been communicating with him for about two months, but then she stopped and after a while created a new account.”  
“So, what now?” Jonghyun started getting his last hope smashed.  
“I had an idea two days ago. You see, I was thinking about what you said about the girl claiming to be your friend’s girlfriend. So I checked the surveillance of the college your friend was attending and I found this.”  
Both Jonghyun and Changhyun leaned closer to watch a video where some college kids were hanging at the cafeteria of the school. Jonghyun recognized some of them to be the students he and Changhyun had talked to when they had visited the college and they had told him about that suspicious girl looking for Hyuk.  
“That’s them! That’s Hyuk’s friends,” Changhyun cried with excitement. Paul nodded and he speeded the video forward. People went and go in high speed, till Paul paused the picture.  
“There!” he pointed at a woman who had walked towards the group of students and set with them.  
“Do you recognize her or something?” the computer guy asked.  
“I can’t see her clearly. She is too far away,” Jonghyun complained.  
“That can be fixed,” Paul said and he dialed some orders to the computer till the image was enhanced. Jonghyun felt the blood rush up his head. That was the girl! He looked over to Changhyun who met his gaze. The boy was as shocked as himself, which only made Jonghyun more terrified. It was her.  
######  
The sound of someone clicking aggressively on a keyboard woke Jimin up. The white light that was filling the room left him blind for a few minutes, and Jimin blinked, realizing that he wasn’t in his own bedroom. He stretched his arm, half expecting to reach Yoongi’s body, but his side of the bed was empty. Jimin got up confused. The room was small, and the bed was actually overtaking most of the space in it, apart from all the gadgets and machinery that were scattered around along with clothes and shoes.  
Jimin rolled on his side, and found Yoongi sitting on the floor next to the bed. He was wearing his headphones and he was working on what seemed to be a music program on his laptop. Jimin smiled, as he saw the concentration on his face, and how he was so into what he was doing, typing and choosing notes in lighting speed. Jimin leaned down and kissed his white cheek and the rapper shook in surprise to his touch. Jimin laughed and fall back on his back, staring at the ceiling, feeling Yoongi taking off his headphones right next to him.  
“What’s so funny?” Yoongi snapped, but he didn’t sound angry, more playful than anything.  
“Nothing, I’m just simply happy,” Jimin said, still smiling.  
“You’re always happy,” Yoongi commented, lying next to him.  
“Today I’m really, really happy!” Jimin commented, and he got his arm under Yoongi’s neck, and then brought the boy close to him, so he could lie on Jimin’s chest. The weight of his body felt just right, like it was always meant to be there.  
“What are you working on?” Jimin asked, brushing his lips over Yoongi’s hair, that still smelled like hair dye, as it was only last night, after their kiss, that he had decided to get into the first hair salon that was still open and get his hair all black. Jimin thought then that it was just like the tattoos shop that the other couples visited, only less permanent.  
“I am working on a new song,” Yoongi said, tracing his long fingers down Jimin’s abs, which made the later giggle.  
“Oh, you’ve got inspired, huh?”  
“Something like that.” Yoongi got up and opened some selves. “Listen, he said turning to face Jimin. “I don’t have any coffee, so can you go to the café down the road and get us two americanos?”  
“Sure,” Jimin smiled, and fished his clothes from the floor. He gave Yoongi a brief bear hug before leaving, and Yoongi pushed him off playfully. Jimin pulled him back to him, leaning back on the door, and he kissed his forehead before moving down to his lips. Yoongi pushed himself closer to Jimin, wrapping his arms around his neck and tangling his fingers in Jimin’s hair. Jimin wanted to stay like that forever, but Yoongi wasn’t the kind of boyfriend who enjoyed the whole cuddling and sweetening too much, and so Jimin pulled away, just enough to get a look into Yoongi’s face. The rapper smiled and escaped his embrace, giving him a nod to leave.  
“Don’t delay, I need coffee,” he demanded, and Jimin lowered his head in submition. “Yes sir!” he cried and got out.  
The morning chill hit him, but Jimin couldn’t stop smiling, as he climbed down the stairs. He couldn’t believe that he and Yoongi were dating! He felt like singing out of happiness, but he saved it for when he would be out of Yoongi’s building. He wasn’t sure if the rapper wouldn’t make fun of him for doing so. Though he was his boyfriend, Jimin was certain that Yoongi would think twice to give him a hard time. It was in his nature to be sassy and rude after all. But that was the Yoongi Jimin had fallen in love with.  
Yoongi’s room was over an old storage room, just next to a big mansion, that Jimin assumed that belong to Nabom. As it was at the back of the building, Jimin had to go all around the mansion and leave through the garden door. He didn’t really remember the way, as it was late in the night when he and Yoongi ended up at Yoongi’s place. But it wasn’t that hard to get around and he easily found the iron door.  
Jimin was almost at the door, when he heard a woman’s voice behind him.  
“You bastard!” she called.  
Jimin was surprised, but he didn’t manage to turn around and see who was coursing him. A sharp pain at the back of him neck made him dizzy and next thing he knew was the cool grass of the garden that smelled like rain and fertilizer, before passing out.  
######  
Hyuk thought that Hongbin looked like a fallen angel as he stood there, his hands extended like wings. The boy’s blood had run on Hyuk’s face and now it was dripping down his arms. Hyuk didn’t dare ask him if he was okay. He knew that he wasn’t. And there was nothing he could do but hold him up.  
To be fair, Hongbin was heavy and Hyuk felt his muscles scream in pain, but he didn’t let go. All these were his fault. He was the one who had brought all these on the man he loved.  
“It is not your fault,” Hongbin whispered. Hyuk would have missed it, if the room wasn’t so quiet and cold.  
“Save your energy,” Hyuk replied, watching his breathe creating a cloud as he spoke.  
“It is her. She did this to me, not you.”  
“But I should have…”  
“Did you manage to escape?” Hongbin asked.  
“I knocked her unconscious and found the exit.” Hyuk wanted to start crying again.  
“I would have done the same thing. Don’t blame yourself.” Hongbin sounded weak and in pain. How could he not hate him after all that he had gone through?  
“Have you ever tried to escape?”  
“Once. I reached the exit too.”  
“Did you…did you write that letter on the wall?” Hyuk was thinking about that love letter on the wall all this time. Had Hongbin written that? He had said before that he had loved him for a long time, before Hyuk even knew about him. Stolen glance … it was possible. Did Hongbin love him that much?  
“What letter? Oh, I saw that too. No, it wasn’t me. Maybe someone before us. But I hope not.”  
Hyuk started getting frightened again. If someone else had written that, what had happened to him? Where was he now? Was he dead? Had she killed him? Or had he escaped and met his love again?  
A loud thug echoed through the whole building. The door had opened and closed again. She had smashed the door, and the force of the impact opened the door of the room that Hyuk and Hongbin where in. Hyuk saw her through the crack of the door moving slowly like a wild animal, dragging something that seemed heavy along with her. Was it a person? Hyuk’s heart was ready to explode. Another victim to be tortured.  
“Hyuk,” Hongbin breathed and Hyuk tore his eyes off the door and looked up. Hongbin was pale under the deep light, too pale.  
“Go,” he whispered.  
“What? I’m not leaving you!”  
“Go, save yourself.”  
“No! I’m not leaving you!” Hyuk repeated.  
“Hyuk, listen to me. You can’t unchain me. And trying to will take time. She might come back by then. The best you can do for me now is to go out and find help. Please.”  
Hyuk cried. He cried because he knew that Hongbin was right. But how could he leave him? Could he undure it till Hyuk got out? Could he survive? What if she came back and found Hongbin alone? She would kill him for sure. And Hyuk couldn’t risk that.  
“Hyuk, please. I want you to survive. I want you to live.”  
“I want to live. But I want you to live too. I want us to escape and live together.”  
“We will. If you go out and get help. Do it, Hyuk! Leave this place!”  
“Hongbin!”  
“I love you, Hyuk. I will love you till my last breathe,” Hongbin said and passed out.  
######  
Jonghyun heard the second beep, as he was waiting for Jimin to pick it up. Changhyun was looking at him like a small child waiting for Christmas. To the third beep, Jonghyun wanted to throw the cell phone on the wall and smash it. What was that idiot doing? Why wasn’t he picking it up?  
“Hello?” a deep voice came from the other line. Jonghyun was startled. That wasn’t Jimin’s voice for sure.  
“Hello? Isn’t this Jimin’s phone?”  
“It is. Who’s calling?” Jonghyun got the feeling that the guy he was talking to was Yoongi.  
“His friend Jonghyun. Listen, this is very important. I need to speak with Jimin,” Jonghyun urged.  
“Jimin is not here. He left his phone here.”  
“When is he coming back?” Jonghyun was getting impatient.  
“I don’t know. It has been… oh, an hour!”  
“You just realized that?”  
“I was working and I lost track of time,” Yoongi admitted. “Shit, I have to go and search for him. Maybe he got lost.”  
“Wait! Listen, maybe you can help!”  
“I don’t have time for your bullshit,” Yoongi snapped, ready to close the phone.  
“Wait! Has Jimin told you about my friend who has been missing?” Jonghyun held his breath. Had that asshole already hang up?  
“Yes, so?”  
“I believe that he was kidnapped. And I finally have a lead.”  
“And what that has to do with me?”  
“Can I have the address of that girl friend of yours from last night?”  
“Nabom? Why?”  
“She had come to Hyuk’s school and claimed to be Hyuk’s girlfriend just before he disappeared.”  
“Nabom? No way!”  
“I saw her on the camera of the college. It’s her! Please, can I have her address?”  
Yoongi didn’t answer. He simply hang out.  
“What happened?” Changhyuk asked.  
“That bastard didn’t tell me!” Jonghyun exploded. What the… A new sms came from Jimin. It was an address.  
######  
Jimin opened his eyes and he found himself tied up in a dark room. What was going on? Where was he?  
A door opened behind him and someone stepped in. Jimin held his breath. What was happening?  
“You played me well, I give you that,” a female voice said. She stood behind him and Jimin was unable to turn and see who she was.  
“Who are you?” Jimin cried.  
“I really thought that you were into me. You came to the club every night. You even started hanging with my rental to be close to me. And then you got bored and slept with my fucking neighbor!” she screamed and Jimin heard something cutting the air before feeling the sharp pain. She was hitting him with a whip! Jimin screamed in pain, as she pulled his head back by the hair. Jimin morphed in confusion and terror, as his eyes adjusted to the deep light and he recognized Nabom!  
“You bastard! Why? Why did it have to be Yoongi!”  
“Nabom? What…?” Jimin couldn’t finish his phrase. Nabom wrapped her whip around his throat and she pulled and pulled, till Jimin couldn’t breathe. When she finally let loose, he coughed, trying to get some air back to his lungs. She kneeled next to him and pushed his hair off his face. Then she came really close and whispered. “Was he good? Did he scream you name? I would have. Now, you’re going to scream mine.” She laughed and Jimin cried in pain once more.  
######  
Hyuk kissed Hongbin’s lips, his forehead, his cheeks, his jaw, still crying.  
“I love you,” he whispered between each kiss. “I love you,” he said one last time, and he ran to the door, not looking back. If he had, Hyuk was certain that he would have never left the room.  
Hyuk stormed into the hallway once more and felt sick. What was he doing? He could hear screams coming from somewhere in the darkness. Hyuk stumbled and fell on the dirty floor, but got up again quickly. He had to find a way out. Hongbin’s life was depending on it.  
Hyuk ran down corridors. Where was that door? The torture room was next to the exit, wasn’t it? Then where the hell was that door?  
Hyuk was starting to get mad in desperation. Where was the door? He looked under every exit he found, but no one had light coming from beneath it! Hyuk started getting desperate. And then he bumped onto somewhere and fell on his back. The impact of the fall was painful, but Hyuk forced himself up despite the pain. He was found. But this time he won’t beg. He will fight her back. He will fight for his freedom and for his love and for his life.  
But it wasn’t her standing in front of him. It was a boy, with pale skin and dark hair. Was he a prisoner too? Was he the guy who was dragged in here earlier? But the guy didn’t seem to bare any bruises or cuts. Who was he then? An accomplice? Hyuk started feeling afraid again. But he tried to keep a straight head. The boy was shorter than him and he didn’t look very strong either. Hyuk could probably handle him, even in his stage.  
“What the fuck? Who’re you?” the boy barked. Hyuk looked at him surprised. “Wait, are you that Hyuk guy?”  
“How do you know me?” Hyuk managed to ask.  
“You’re friend has been looking for you,” the boy replied. “By the way, have you seen a guy with orange hair and…” A scream cut the boy short. He turned to leave towards the direction of the screams, but Hyuk grabbed his arm.  
“Wait! How did you get in here?” Hyuk pleaded.  
“There’s an exit that way,” the boy pointed towards Hyuk’s right. Hyuk started running towards that direction, screaming thank you to the boy. Hyuk ran and ran and ran till he finally saw the light coming in from the half open door. Hyuk smashed on the cold iron and rolled outside, hitting his back on a staircase. Hyuk didn’t think twice. He climbed them up, feeling his lungs burning and his legs on fire. But he didn’t stop. He kept going till he reached the top of the stairs and he throw himself in the sunny corridors of house that seemed to have been abandoned years ago. The furniture where covered with bed sheets, and there were no curtains covering the windows.  
Hyuk’s heart was about to burst, as he kept checking every door he could find. But all of them were locked. Just like the ones in that dark nightmare. Hyuk reached the kitchen, probably the only room that seemed to have been used. And with horror, Hyuk discovered the knives of the kitchen were covered with blood. His blood? Hongbin’s? Hyuk stepped back, feeling dizzy all of a sudden. The exhaustion had finally caught up with him. But he had to keep moving.  
Hyuk suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder. He grabbed the nearest utensil he could found, a pan that was sitting on the counter, and turned violently, only to find himself face to face with Jonghyun. The sock on Jonghyun’s face was obvious, as he screamed Hyuk’s name, falling back in surprised.  
“Hyuk! Hyuk, you’re alive!” Changhyun, his colleague at the café, cried in relief.  
“Jonghyun, Changhyun! Call the police! Call…” Hyuk screamed before blacking out.  
######  
Jimin took a deep breath. He could feel the blood dripping down his jaw, getting mixed up with his sweat and tears. His throat was the worst. She had almost cut it off, beating him like a maniac and laughing like crazy to each scream she gained. Jimin couldn’t understand what had happened. Why Nabom was doing this to him? What was happening? It was probably the hundredth time he wondered the same question. He was so confused and frightened that he didn’t realize at first that Nabom had left the room. He only found out when he heard loud shouting outside the room.  
Jimin couldn’t make out who were the people talking, neither what they were talking about. But he could tell that they were arguing and they were arguing wildly. But the beat of his heart was actually louder than anything. He felt so cold and empty. Should he scream for help? Will anyone hear him?  
Suddenly, the door behind him opened and someone rushed in. Jimin couldn’t lift his head, but he didn’t want to see her again. Will this nightmare ever end?  
Two hands cupped his face and lifted his head. Was Jimin dreaming? Maybe he was hallucinating, after all that beating and asphyxiations. Because it couldn’t be possible for Yoongi to be there, his face covered with terror.  
“Jimin! Wake up!” he demanded and he disappeared behind him, starting to work on his handcuffs.  
“Yoongi…” Jimin whispered. He would probably be in his room, working on his music. Or maybe he was on the street, looking for him. Jimin wasn’t certain how long had it been since she brought him in this room.  
“Hang in there. I’m almost done. Fuck this lock!” Yoongi yelled, but soon Jimin’s hands were loose. Then Yoongi unlocked Jimin’s legs as well and Jimin was free. Was this for real? Yoongi was really here?  
“Let’s go!” Yoongi said, offering him his hand. Jimin almost cried with joy, as he took the rapper’s extended hand and let him pull him out of the room. But as soon as they reached the door, Yoongi halted violently. Nabom was standing at the door, blocking their way, like an evil spirit. Her mouth was bleeding, as well as her forehead. She was holding something metallic, that reflected the light of the beaming lamp from the corridor. A gun!  
“Where do you think you’re going?” she hissed and lifted her weapon, pointing it at Yoongi’s chest. Jimin was paralazed by shock. He had really believed that he was safe, that he had escaped. Nut his dreams were dashed by the barrel of the gun threating to kill the man he loved. No! His life was nothing without Yoongi. And so Jimin pushed the rapper behind him, covering him with his body, like a human shield.  
“How romantic! You’re willing to die for him?” she laughed. “Then die!” Nabom shoot her gun. And the time froze. Jimin could hear Yoongi’s breath behind him. He could see the bullet coming his way. He could feel Yoongi’s arm pushing him down on the floor. And without being able to stop him, watching Yoongi running towards Nabom and attacking her, grabbing her gun off her hand. She screamed and bitten his arm, that made Yoongi cry in pain, but the rapper didn’t let go of the weapon, which fired again, the bullet hitting some pipes. Nabom aimed some hits towards Yoongi again, without meeting heer target, and after that she attempted to run away. But Yoongi hit her on the head with the back of the gun. Nabom crashed on the floor like a doll.  
“Get up!” Yoongi barked and Jimin obeyed. They were finally in the corridor, running towards the exit, Yoongi never letting Jimin’s hand. Jimin couldn’t breathe properly, and that made him dizzy, but he didn’t stop. He couldn’t stop, as he heard Nabom’s screams behind them. That monster was still after them!  
They had almost reached the opened exit, when the smoke caught up with them. Jimin got a glimpse of the fire that had started, spreading like a cloud of insects that where attacking the new crops.  
But Yoongi didn’t let him get a better look. He pulled him up the stairs and out in the house, where they found a group of police officers running towards their direction.  
“She’s down there! And we need a doctor!” Yoongi yelled at them and helped two officers get Jimin out, where an ambulance was waiting. And as soon as Jimin lied on the carrier, he let the exhaustion over take him. But he could still feel the strong grip of Yoongi’s hand, all the way to the hospital.  
######  
Hyuk stood there, frozen. The rain was pouring down on him and the stink of the fire was overwhelming, coming off the dark remaining of that horrible place. The whole mansion had collapsed, after the fire that had started in the basement. Hyuk hadn’t seen it when it had happened, as he was urged to the hospital, where he was tighten on a bed, after trying to escape before he made complete recovery.  
The police officers had come to take his statement and he had asked and begged for information, but the doctors had denied anything that would upset him. But he was finally released from the hospital and here he was, at the place where he almost dies, where he wished to die.  
“You shouldn’t be here,” someone said from behind him, and the rain stopped dropping. A police officer came and stood next to him, offering him to share his umbrella.  
“I had to come here,” Hyuk commented. “Officer, you promised me some answers.”  
“Let’s go in a café and talk,” the officer offered.  
“No. I can’t wait any longer,” Hyuk demanded.  
“Okay. As you wish. What you want to know?”  
“Where’s Hongbin?”  
“Except yourself, her resent victim Jimin and his savior, we didn’t find any other victim. But a big explosion followed the fire and it took as some hours to start the search and so maybe he left the building. We are researching the area for now…”  
“So, you don’t know?”  
“For now, no. We haven’t found any skeletons, though, so that’s something.”  
“And…what about her?” Hyuk almost chocked.  
“She’s gone as well.”  
“So, she could have him?” Hyuk’s heart beat fast.  
“We doubt that. She wouldn’t have the time to get herself out as well a tall male.”  
“What do we know about her?”  
“She was the only child of a family that had invested in electrical power during the Japanese occupation. After her parents died, she inherited the mansion.”  
“Why did she kidnap us?”  
“For all we know, she got obsessed over a guy for time to time and she stalked him, till she captured him and brought him in that basement. Apparently, she believed that any man that gave her any attention was in love with her and she had to make them hers.”  
“Did she capture many other men before?” Hyuk found it hard to breathe the more he learned. But he had to know.  
“We don’t really know a number, but we found the room she kept the trophies of her victims. Most of them were destroyed by the fire, but we managed to save a t shirt that our DNA research showed that it belong to Kim Jongin, a college student that had been reported missing two years ago.”  
“Is he alive? Has he escaped?”  
The officer stayed silent, staring at the ground. Was he the one who wrote that love letter? Maybe he had escaped. Maybe he had reunited with the person he loved. Maybe his Hongbin had escaped too. Maybe he will reunited with him one day, when he will feel safe again.  
######  
“Okay, then. Ilhoon is waiting for you at the dorms, so don’t be late okay? Hurry back. No, I have something to do first,” Jonghyun said to Hyuk over the phone, as he looked inside the coffee shop. He watched Changhyun serve coffees and muffins and cleaning the tables, just like he had done so many times. But Hyuk’s situation had brought things in new perspective. Life was too short to be miserable on purpose. But will Changhyun understand?  
Jonghyun took a deep breath, got inside the store, walked to the counter and faced a confused Changhyun. He shouldn’t let his cute face and surprised eyes discourage him.  
“You’re shift is over, right? I’ll wait for you outside. Don’t be late,” Jonghyun said and marched outside. His heart drummed like crazy, but he didn’t stop till he was out of sight. Will he come? Will he want to meet him after Hyuk was saved?  
Jonhyun paced up and down nervously. Where was he? He won’t come? Had he to go back again and demand him to listen to him? Or had the coffee boy left from the back door?  
“Jonghyun,” Changhyun called and Jonghyun turned. The boy was holding the striped of her backpack tightly, and he looked utterly confused.  
“How’s Hyuk? Did something happen?”  
“He’s okay. He met with an officer today and he told him about that woman and Hongbin.”  
Changhyun nodded sadly. They had been informed about the whole case and they knew that Hyuk wouldn’t take it well.  
“And?”  
“He’s strong. But I think that he will only focus on the fact that Hongbin isn’t found. He will wait for him forever.”  
“And you? Do you think that he’s alive?”  
“I don’t know. The odds are against him.”  
“Okay, thank you for keeping me updated. Also, tell him our boss tells him to take as much time as he needs and that his position will remain unoccupied if he wants to come back.”  
“Alright, I’ll tell him.” Changhyun bit his lower lip and signed, taking off towards the tube station, before Jonghyun grabbed his arm, stopping him.  
“There’s more?” Changhyun asked. Damn, that kid!  
“I have to tell you something, non Hyuk related.”  
The coffee boy’s eyes grew larger is surprise.  
“I thought you only needed me to find Hyuk.”  
“Yes, well, it started this way, but…hell, I don’t want to stop seeing you, okay?”  
“You’re acting again? You want something?”  
“No, I … I am a bad guy, okay? And you should better stay away from me. I did try to keep you way, but…”  
“But what?”  
“Do you want to date?”  
Changhyun’s gapped, googling his eyes. But the boy stayed silent.  
“Well?” Jonghyun was getting impatience.  
“Well, I don’t know really,” Changhyun replied and went passed Jonghyun. Jonghyun felt numbed and he didn’t even turn to stop him. He knew that there were a few chances of Changhyun forgiving him, but still he hoped that he will tell yes.  
“Maybe you can buy me breakfast tomorrow,” Changhyun yelled before vanishing down the tube. Jonghyun smiled and balled his feasts, before taking off himself.  
######  
Yoongi tossed his towel on the floor angrily. “This room is too small! I miss my old one!” he nagged once more, but the look in Jimin’s face stopped him. He cleared his throat, “I’ll get used to it.”  
“Its fine,” Jimin smiled. After Yoongi’s house had been burned down, just like the whole mansion, and Jimin asked him to move in with him. And till now, he was an okay roommate, though he tended to be overprotective over Jimin, mainly because of his abduction. If Jimin wanted to be honest with himself, he kind of liked being taken care of.  
“You’re staying in, right?” Yoongi asked, taking a seat at Jimin’s desk, where he had made camp, towering all his machinery and his papers. Jimin had his exam tomorrow afternoon, but he didn’t feel like staying indoors.  
As soon as he asked, someone knocked at the door. Jimin saw Hoseok smiling brightly when Yoongi opened the door. Yoongi made a face. He liked Hoseok and they had become really good friends over the last few weeks, but apparently he wanted to be alone with Jimin tonight.  
Hoseok either ignored Yoongi’s annoyance, or he didn’t notice. Either way, he gave Jimin a hug and set himself on the bed. Jimin always envied Hoseok’s legs, so long and muscular, and as the boy stretched, his lean body was in full display. Plus, Jimin was really jealous of his friend’s great profile, though Yoongi had told him that he had quite a handsome profile himself.  
“Why you’re here?” Yoongi demanded.  
“I’m here to take you out! Both of you!” Hoseok laughed. He fished their jackets out of the closet and tossed them to them, without letting Yoongi protest.  
“I’ll wait for you outside!” he yelled and he left the room.  
“I guess we have to go now,” Jimin smiled.  
“You two had planned this, hadn’t you?” Yoongi snapped, but still wearing his coat.  
“No, we didn’t! I swear,” Jimin laughed and pulled the rapper closer, so he could plant a quick kiss on his plumbed lips. Yoongi acted irritated and he pulled away, but Jimin saw the light smile on the corner of his mouth. And Jimin knew that Yoongi loved him as much as he loved him.  
######  
Hyuk left the flowers at a place where he assumed that the wind won’t carry them away. The mansion had never been rebuilt. It was just left there, the smoke have been almost washed away by the rain and time. But the police tape was still there, a hurtful reminder that the case had never been closed.  
However Hyuk knew that his Hongbin was alive. He felt him every time he drank coffee, every time he poured the flour to make cake, every time he closed his eyes to fall asleep. It still hurt to watch Jonghyun and Changhyun all lovey dovey. But he didn’t want to follow Ilhoon’s advice and try to continue with his life. He had graduated from the culinary school and he was now working at a bakery nearby. And he hoped that with every cake he made and with every sweet that maybe Hongbin will taste them. And maybe after tasting them he will remember Hyuk and he will come back to him. Because he was his one and only love, his life, and he will love him till his last breath.


End file.
